Mirror Image
by Traser SyberJedi
Summary: AU. Original series Battlestar Galactica ATeam crossover. Starbuck is sent on a mission where he has to pose as Face. Face is sent to the Galactica in Starbuck's place. Warning: mild language. Chapter 3 is finally up after such a long wait.
1. Prologue

Mirror Image 

By SyberJedi, with lots of imput from Unit One

Author's notes: First off, Unit One gets credits because this fic was originally his idea. He was sweet enough to give it to me to write. Also, on top of that, some of the elements of the story are his ideas. He wanted certain things to take place, so I made sure to include them. Unit One also helped resolve one idea block for me as well, and in a way that it fit into the story. Also, I would like to thank Unit One for beta reading it as well. And along with him, I want to thank my other beta reader, the Snow Queen.  
Secondly- this is an TOS Battlestar Galactica and The A-Team crossover. (TOS stands for The Original Series, for those who have not heard or seen it used before.) The whole premise of the storyline is based on the fact that Dirk Benedict played the original Starbuck on Galactica, and then later on portrayed Lieutenent Templeton "The Faceman" Peck on the A-Team.  
Lastly- there will be some minor elements used from Galactica 1980. However, for all intents and purposes, the events of Galactica 1980 did not happen where this story is concerned.

Disclaimers- I don't own either the A-Team, or the characters from TOS Battlestar Galactica/ Galactica 1980. They belong to their creators. However, I'm more than willing to take both Face and Starbuck. The story idea belongs to Unit One. The card game Fizbin comes from classic Star Trek. Everything else is mine, well, some of it did come from Unit One, and he knows what is his.

Prologue

Apollo and Starbuck were flying a long patrol in their Vipers. Both men were long accustomed to spending long hours confined to the cramped interiors of their respective starfighters. Still, being used to something did not mean that the repetition of the duty didn't get to either of them.

"I don't know about you, Apollo, but I'm glad that we only have to pull this duty once a sectare." Starbuck lightly grumbled, trying to start a conversation to relieve his boredom.

"It could be worse, Starbuck. We could have to pull it more often, if there were fewer pilots, and more encounters with the Cylons." Apollo pointed out.

"True. You don't think we, as in the fleet, gave them the slip completely either." The sandy blonde man stated.

"No, I don't. They're still around, just leaving us alone. Trying to lull us into a false sense of security." The other pilot replied. "They're following us. Maybe not right behind us, but they're back there."

"Not that the Council would actually believe you if you told them that." Starbuck said, following it up with a slight yawn.

Apollo chuckled at that comment. "I wouldn't even bother trying to tell them that anyway. Mainly because you are correct."

Both men went silent for a bit after that, in somewhat better spirits. However, it did not last for very long, because Starbuck noticed a brief flash off to the starboard side of his Viper.

"Apollo, did you notice that?" He asked his best friend.

"Notice what Starbuck?" Apollo queried. He had not seen anything at all. "Where?"

"Starboard. I saw a flash. It was brief." Starbuck answered. "I'm going to go check it out. Back in a few centons."

"Alright. Keep communications open." Apollo ordered.

"Of course." Starbuck veered his Viper off in the direction that he thought he had seen the flash in. He then punched in his turbos for a moment, quickly outdistancing his wingmate.

Apollo listened to the running dialog from his best friend, as he followed their original course. He didn't like it when either one of them had to go check out something that was spotted, no matter how brief it was. It was one of the purposes behind the long patrols, since they were looking for traces that could have originated on Earth, or Cylon activity. Anything could be behind such occurances.

Starbuck scouted for a bit, not finding anything that could have caused the flash he thought he had seen. He was getting ready to head back to Apollo, when another flash caught his attention.

"There it is again Apollo. It seems familar." Starbuck informed his friend. He then groaned in pain, as a high pitch noise filled his helmet.

"Starbuck, familar how?" Apollo asked, a worried note in his voice.

"I'm not exactly recalling. It's a..." was Starbuck's response, followed with a cry of pain. He had brought his hands up to the areas which would correspond to his ears, had he not been wearing a helmet, as an intense, high pitched whine filled his head. The blonde warrior then passed out.

"Starbuck? Starbuck?" Apollo called out, trying to get an answer from the other man. No answer came.

The Captain quickly changed course, and headed for the area of space where his friend's last transmission originated from. There was no sign of the other Viper when he arrived. Apollo searched the area as long as he could before turning back to the Galactica. He would not have left then, if it was not for the fact that his fuel reserves were low, and that he needed to let everyone else know that Starbuck was now missing.

The lone Viper landed in Alpha Bay. Apollo climbed out of the cockpit, threw his helmet aside, and beelined to Decontamination. He refused to talk with anyone, heading straight to the bridge once he was cleared. Tears glinted in his green colored eyes, as he walked up to his father, Commander Adama, and Colonel Tigh.

"Father, Starbuck is missing." Apollo reported, fighting to keep from breaking down. Adama whirled to look at his son, an expression of grief briefly crossing his own face.

"Are you certain about that, Apollo?" Adama asked. He hoped that it wasn't true. Starbuck was part of his family, another son to him, even if there were no ties of blood. And that was besides the fact that the Lieutenent was a valuable Warrior, being one of the best pilots within the Fleet.

"Yes. I searched for him as long as I could, just leaving myself enough fuel to return." Apollo answered.

"Captain, along which vector did Lieutenent Starbuck vanish?" Tigh asked, his voice calm and business like.  
Apollo showed the older men the area where his friend had vanished from.

"It's not that far off of our flight path." Apollo pointed out. "It wasn't even 5 centons from the time his last transmission came through before I arrived in the location he was last in. There was nothing there. No debrie, no nearby planets, nothing."

"As the Fleet draws closer to the area, we'll send out search patrols to see if any trace can be found. We'll keep looking as long as we can, until the Fleet draws out of range." Adama decided. "That's the best that can be done."

"Thank you, Sir." Apollo replied. He then gave the rest of his report, before being dismissed and given the rest of the cycle off. Apollo headed to his quarters.

"Adama, you know that Starbuck's odds of surviving are not very good. He won't have enough fuel by now to return to the Fleet. And his oxygen reserves will be almost gone by the time the Fleet reaches the area where Apollo heard his last transmission." Tigh pointed out to his long time friend.

"We still have to look for him. Starbuck has overcome greater odds than the ones currently against him now." Adama reminded Tigh.

Tigh nodded in agreement. "I know."

When the Fleet reached the area where Starbuck had vanished from, search patrols were assigned. No trace of the brash Lieutenent was found. Starbuck was listed as missing in action- presumed dead.


	2. Chapter 1

Mirror Image 

By SyberJedi with lots of imput from Unit One

Chapter One

Starbuck stretched as he woke up. His head was fuzzy not recalling right off where he had been before he passed out. However, as soon as he did, he bolted upright into a sitting position. A brief sharp pain lanced through his head due to the brightness of the lighting, causing him to clutch at it, and moan. Starbuck's eyes screwed themselves shut in an attempt to block it out.

"I suggest that you lay back down, Lieutenent." A vaguely familar voice informed the blonde.

"Why should I?" Starbuck asked. He tried opening his eyes again, at a slower rate this time, giving himself a chance to adapt.

"Well, it would help with the headache for one thing." The voice answered.

Starbuck's eyes were fully open, taking in his surroundings, and the changes in his uniform. Everything was white.

"Oh no, not you all again." Starbuck sighed. He then looked over at the man who had talked to him. "You're John, correct?"

"I see that you remember me." John answered.

"Well, you are kind of hard to forget, especially after what all happened on Terra. Where's Apollo?"

"He's on the Galactica. While he did well on the mission that we had given him, Apollo is not needed this time around. You are." John stated.

"Why am I needed? And what kind of mission? I'm needed back on the Galactica. They can't afford to lose pilots." The Lieutenent retorted.

"The mission is only one that you can do, for various reasons. Your abilities besides those of being a Warrior along with them. Also, your appearance is a factor. An extremely important factor at that." John supplied.

"My appearance?" Starbuck asked, confused. "What would my appearance have to do with me being capable of undertaking a mission? I can understand my abilities as a Warrior, and as a gambler and such. Even without knowing what this mission is. Speaking of which, what is the mission?"

"Your mission is for you to recon areas on Earth for your people to establish settlements on, without being discovered by the various authorities on Earth." John explained, begining the briefing. "As for why your appearance being important, it's because of the fact that there is a man on Earth that is your identical twin appearance wise. And you are going to be taking his place for a while."

Starbuck looked at John in shock. "You mean to say that there is someone that could pass as my twin brother?"

It then dawned on Starbuck that John had stated that he was going to Earth.

"What do you mean I'm going to Earth? The Galactica hasn't discovered any traces that we're drawing close."

"Not as yet, no. It won't be too much longer before such discoveries are made, however." John answered. "That's not important though, Lieutenent. What is important is that you be able to pass yourself off as this other man."

"What's so important about this other man that I have to take over as him?" Starbuck wanted to know.

"His current freedom and status in the society in which he lives is." John stated. He started filling Starbuck in. "The man is an escaped convicted fugitive, innocent of the crimes which has placed against his unit and him. They're hiring themselves out as mercenaries. However, they're not typical mercenaries. They screen their clients, only accepting jobs if the client proves that they have a serious problem that can not be resolved through regular means, and are not an obvious set up for a trap by the military. The unit will take on clients who can't afford to meet their price, usually taking a small percentage of ownership if a business instead. Also, they do work for free."

Starbuck listened to the data, picking up on key words.

"Okay, I noticed you used the term unit and military." Starbuck pointed out the two words that drew his attention.

John nodded. "Yes. They're a former military unit, and are on the run from the military. Special Forces unit to be exact."

"Now I see why you needed a Warrior for this mission." Starbuck shifted his position. Then he asked, in a sarcastic voice, "Going to tell me anything about them?"

"It would be pointless for the whole mission if I did not." John answered, ignoring the Lieutenent's tone of voice. "The unit is known as the A-Team, and consists of four members. The military is only after three of them, however. The fourth member was declared to be insane, and was admitted to a medical facility. The commander of the A-Team is one Lieutenent Colonel John Smith, also known as Hannibal. He's a brilliant and highly unusual tactician and strategist. Next is Sargeant Bosco "B.A." Baracus. The B.A. is short for Bad Attitude. He's the team's mechanic and heavy muscle. After him is Captain H.M. Murdock. The H.M. as near as can be determined, stands for Howling Mad. He's the pilot for the team, and pretty good elsewhere as well. He's also the one who was declared insane. Last, and the most important member of the team- Lieutenent Templeton Peck alias The Faceman, or Face for short. Face is the second in command of the team, also being their supply officer, sniper and bookkeeper. Along with that, the man is a con artist and an extremely good one at that. He's also a gambler, a womanizer, and extremely skilled at picking locks."

As John told Starbuck about each member of this unit, a small three dimentional image of each man appeared. It started off with a head and shoulders shot, then adjusted to a full body image. Starbuck's expression was slightly stunned when he saw the image of Face. John laughed briefly.

"Your appearance and abilities are not the only things you have in common with Face, Starbuck." John continued. "Like you, Face grew up an orphan with no memory of his parents or early childhood. However, that is where the simularities end. Face was raised in a religious orphanage. He attended collage for a couple of yarhens, before dropping out and enlisting in the military. Also, he is not a pilot."

"Still, it's hard to believe. He looks a bit younger than me." Starbuck pointed out.

"That is a minor detail and easily resolved." John waved off the problem. "At the moment, you have other things that are more important to be concerned with. The primary one being that you need to learn a language called English, and become fluent in it. You also will need to develop a small vocabulary in a language known as Vietnamese. And you have to learn how to answer to being called Face. How good are you with numbers?"

"Well, I am a gambler, so I can certainly say that I can hold my own when it comes to numbers." Starbuck grinned.  
"Good. Let's get started then on the English lessons." John decided. "You have a lot to learn in the amount of time we have available to us. Luckily, with some of it, you can learn it through sleep study."

Starbuck looked at John sharply when he said that. "What do you mean by that?"

"Starbuck, you need to be as fluent in speaking English, as though you had grown up on Earth in the areas where that language is spoken. You also have to be able to read and write it as well. It has to be ingrained nature to you to speak it, to the point where you even think in English. You will have to be able to react in English without having to translate what you are going to say in your head first." John explained. "Your life will be depending on it."

"Let's get started then." Starbuck sighed. He wasn't liking the situation he was in, but he had no choice in the matter.

John started the lessons, including starting to address Starbuck by the names Face, Tem, and Peck, or as Lieutenent.

John and Starbuck worked for several, long hours, only stopping to allow Starbuck to eat, relieve himself, and to stretch. Finally, it got to the point where the Lieutenent couldn't keep his eyes open anymore.

"Hey John, I don't know about you, but I need some sleep." Starbuck yawned. He stood up, raising his arms over his head.

"Very well." John answered, also getting to his feet. "I'll see you when you wake up."

Starbuck curled up on the padded bench that he had originally had woken up on, using his jacket as a blanket, as best as he could. He briefly wished that he was back on the Galactica, in his bunk. Things were too quiet for his comfort, since Starbuck was long accustomed to not being alone. Still, it did not take long for the pilot to drift off to sleep.  
John quietly watched the sleeping pilot from a concealed spot not too far.

"I don't like this." John said. "I know there's no choice in the matter. I still don't have to like it"  
John looked slightly upwards.

"Lieutenent Starbuck is going to be in for a suprise to find out that 5 yahrens or years have gone by, without him living hardly any of that time. And he's not going to like that fact either." John declared. "That time missing from his life could cause him problems when he finally does return to the Galactica."

A displeased expression crossed John's face.

"And that's another thing. Something needs to be set up for Face while Starbuck is impersonating him. It's not like we can keep him here." John paused, before continuing. "Why not send him to the Galactica, after giving him the Colonial language. It would only be right. It would give Captain Apollo and the rest of Starbuck's people hope that Starbuck is still alive. Also, they can get useful information about what they will discover on Earth when they reach it. At least we won't have to prepare him to pose as Starbuck."

John sighed, shook his head, then looked back up.

"Thank you for seeing my point."

When Starbuck woke up, he could not quite believe all the information that kept filling his mind. Information concerning participles, verbs, adverbs, pronouncation, definitions crowded his thoughts.

"Good morning Lieutenent." John said in English, smiling. "Ready for breakfast?"

"Hello John. I sure am." Starbuck replied, also in English. A suprised expression crossed his face. "That was unexpected."

John laughed. "I'm sure it was. But that's how it has to be."

Starbuck nodded in agreement while he chose what he wanted to eat. "So, how long do you think this mission of mine is going to take?"

"Unknown. It is going to take several months, sectares to use a standard of time you're familar with, if not longer. Most likely it will take at least a year, yarhen, or more."

"That long?" Starbuck asked, his tone growning angry. "What about my friends that I left back on the Galactica? They're going to think I'm dead."

"I'm sorry, Lieutenent, but it can not he helped." John tried to soothe the pilot. "I can promise you this, they will know that you are not dead. I can not reveal how they will know it, or when they will, just that they will. And I can promise you that you will be reunited with them. That's the best that I can do."

"I guess that I'll have to accept it then." Starbuck sighed. He hated being put into circumstances where he had no control over what happened to him or over the situation. Granted, he often did not get a say over assignments back on the Galactica but that was something different, since he chose to become a Colonial Warrior in the first place. Starbuck sat down and ate his breakfast.

"Time to get started with the next set of lessons." John declared, once breakfast was over. Starbuck agreed and the two men got to work.

Over the next sectare, or month as Starbuck learned to call it, the Lieutenent became fluent in speaking English. He also learned more details about the members of the A-Team, especially the man known as Face. However, unknown to Starbuck, what seemed to be a month going by from his perspective was in all actuallity, a total of five years. Five years in which Starbuck did not physically age.

Apollo walked into his quarters carrying a box that was half full of items. He looked into it, not really believing that it contained all of Starbuck's personal possessions. It was less than what he was expecting, a few likenesses, a couple of books, and some momentos. The box was carefully stored away since Apollo was of the belief that his best friend was still alive. The way that Starbuck had disappeared was familar to him. It reminded Apollo of the time when he was 'recruited' for a mission on Terra by the White Light ships. Starbuck had come after him, and the Galactica had followed to rescue them both. Apollo knew that the situation was different because he couldn't find a trace of his friend's fighter.  
But that did not stop him from believing that he would see Starbuck again.

Meanwhile, elsewhere...5 yahrens/years later...

Templeton Peck, aka the Faceman, woke up to a typical morning for him. A beautiful raven haired woman curled along side of him, since he had spent the night at her place. The phone rang, causing the sandy blonde to groan.

"Hello." Face heard the woman's sultry voice say softly, as she answered her phone. He climbed out of bed, and pulled on his pants. She looked at him, a questioning expression on her face.

"Aerin, I'm going to go make some coffee." Face whispered to her. The woman nodded, giving him a thankful smile. The Lieutenent made his way into the kitchen, and started setting up the coffee pot. Within a matter of minutes the fragrant beverage was brewing.

"That smells heavenly Randy." Aerin stated, as she walked into the kitchen. "Sorry about the phone waking you up."

"It's alright. It worked out well anyways since I need to get an early start." Face answered. Randy was his current alias at the moment.

"You did warn me about needing to be up and out early. I wish you didn't have to go overseas for so long though." Aerin sighed.

"I wish I didn't have to go. But the company needs me in Tokyo. They have it all set up for me to fly out later today to Japan." Face lied, in a very convincing manor. "Six months to a year, at least."

Aerin nodded, her expression glum. She drank her coffee, watching "Randy" savor his own cup. Once he finished a second cup, Face stood up.

"I guess I should get my things together, and head on out. I have a lot to do before I'm due in at the airport." Face stated.

"Alright. Look me up when you get back to the States, if possible." Aerin replied, finishing her own cup. "I need to get ready for work. I would gladly see you off otherwise."

"I understand. As for looking you up, sure. When I get back. If only as friends." Face gave Aerin a kiss, and gathered his things. "Take care of yourself Aerin."

"You too, Randy. Have a safe flight." Aerin hugged Face. The Lieutenent then grabbed up his bag, and left the appartment.

Once outside, on the sidewalk, Face noted his location and smiled. He was supposed to be meeting Hannibal and B.A. at a park that was nearby. The day was warm and sunny, so Tem decided to walk to the park. Unfortunantly for the fugitive Lieutenent, Colonel Decker and his MPs were in the area, hunting for the A-Team.

"Sir, isn't that Peck over there?" Crane asked, pointing out the window of the military sedan.

"Why yes it is, Captain." Decker replied. "And he's alone and on foot. There's no way he can avoid capture now."

Crane wisely chose not to comment to that remark. He watched as his CO pulled out his weapon, and lean out the window.

"Templeton Peck, you are hereby ordered to freeze, and give yourself up." Decker yelled out, aiming his gun at the younger man. "If you do not, I WILL open fire."

Face turned in the direction from which Decker's voice came from.

"Shit!" the blonde exclaimed. "Hannibal is going to skin me for this." And with that, Face turned in the opposite direction from what he had been heading in, and broke into a run.

"After him!" Decker ordered Crane.

"Yes Sir." Crane replied, automaticly responding to the order. The olive green sedan did a one-eighty in the middle of the road causing tires to squeal and civillian cars to swerve out of the way. The Colonel leaned farther out the window, and began firing his gun.

Face was thankful that it was still early, but only because it meant that there were fewer chances of civillian casualties. However, it also made it harder for the blonde to vanish into the crowds and escape. He didn't give up though. Face kept running, and spotted an alley that might help him lose his pursuers. He headed for it as fast as he could go. "Give it up Peck!" Decker's voice cried out.

Face didn't hesitate and darted into the alley. Bits of brick flew at him, as a bullet impacted into the building. The Lieutenent winced, but kept going. He knew that the MPs had seen where he had gone. He just hoped that it wasn't a trap. White light started filling the alley, causing Face to slow. He began to turn, trying to find the source of the light. Fear etched across his face, filling the blue eyes. Suddenly, a high pitched whine could be heard, raising in intensity. Face quickly brought his hands over his ears, trying to block the piercing pitch. His head kept turning from side to side, a trapped animal looking for an escape. The light grew brighter and more intense, then it finally brought darkness with it, as Face blacked out. If there had been anyone in the alley, they would have seen Templeton Peck vanish without a trace.

On the Light Ship, Starbuck was getting ready for his mission to start. He had been given a new set of clothing, which would allow him to fit in where he was going.

"I'm keeping my flight jacket." Starbuck informed John. "And my flight helm." He placed his helm into a duffel, then laid his white jacket over it.

"Lieutenent, those items will give you away." John protested.

"The jacket shouldn't. How different can it be from some found on Earth? As for my helm, I can leave it in my duffle bag. Besides, if they get a look at my personal communicator, they're going to be able to tell that it's not from anywhere on Earth. And you can't stop me from taking it, since I'll need it to eventually establish contact with the Galactica. At least I'm leaving my laser behind. Speaking of which, where is my kit bag?" Starbuck looked around.

"Here." John handed the other man the item he was looking for. "Something else you would be better off not taking with you."

Starbuck sent a glare towards John. "Thank you. As for what I'm taking with me, I have my reasons, and that includes my kit. Besides, I really don't relish the idea of using Face's brush, shaver, or other personal grooming effects. It's bad enough that I'm going to have to wear his clothes. Not that I can wear my own."

"Once you are on Earth, you are on your own. We can not intervene, unless your life is at stake." John said the last of the information. "You will not be killed while on this mission. It is too vital. Your jacket will turn white if you are in the presence of myself, or others like me. If that happens, you must follow the instructions you are given. Any deviation from them could result in your death, if only temporarily."

"Well, you just answered a question before I could even ask it." Starbuck remarked. "Well, I'm ready. Anything else I need to know?"

"Actually, yes. When we pulled Lieutenent Peck out, he was being pursued, and fired apon. So there stands a good chance of you being captured when you arrive, or being injured." John answered. "Good luck."

"Thanks, I'm going to need it." Starbuck sighed. "So, do what ever it is that you do to get me where I need to be."

"Alright." John agreed.

Starbuck blinked. When he opened his eyes, he found himself not where he expected to be. But then again, he also did not know what to expect when it came to his arrival on Earth. The Lieutenent spun around once, quickly taking in his surroundings. His nose wrinkled up, due to the smell and the mess in the alley he found himself in. Flashing lights and the sounds of sirens going caught his attention. Starbuck noted that they were coming towards his position.

"Lieutenent Peck, give yourself up!" A harsh voice yelled. It was quickly followed by the deafening sounds of projectiles being fired.

"Frack!" Starbuck muttered to himself, in his native language. "I got to get out of here."

Starbuck quickly decided that he wanted a look at the people who were trying to capture Face, now him. He began to run, heading towards the olive green grounds transport that was coming his way. A determined expression settled on his face, as the Colonial Warrior picked up speed.

"Colonel, what is he doing?" Captain Crane asked. "This is totally unlike Peck at all from past experience."

"Agreed. I have no idea what is going through Peck's mind." Decker concured with his subordinate. "If he was in a vehicle, I would say he was planning to ram us."

"As it stands Sir, we're going to hit him." Crane didn't stop though. If Peck wanted to play chicken, he was willing to as well.

Starbuck, with perfect timing honed by years of fighting Cylons and playing Triad, spiked his duffle bag up and forwards at the windshield of the oncoming vehicle. Then, just before the sedan could hit him, Starbuck jumped up and forward, slapping his hands down onto the hood of the car. Using the kinetic motion to propel himself up and forward, onto the hood of the car. He tucked his knees up and rolled forward, coming to his feet just before he hit the windshield. He grinned at the occupants of the convayance enjoying their stunned expressions, as he leapt up to the roof, snagging his duffle as it was dropping down.

"Gods, I wish Apollo and Boomer could have seen that move." Starbuck exulted, as he ran across the top of the vehicle and jumped off the rear of it. He paused only for a moment, just enough to keep on his feet. He adjusted the duffle, tucking it under his right arm, and kept on running.

Crane hit the brakes once he felt the spring of the Lieutenent jumping off the end, turning the steering wheel to bring the car around in a tight 180 degree turn.

"Now that was insane." The young Captain muttered. Without being told, he then hit the accelerator and returned to the chase. Decker nodded in agreement.

Over in the park where Face was supposed to meet up with the rest of the team, Hannibal kept checking his watch, wondering where his Lieutenent was.

"I don't know why Facey isn't here, Hannibal." Murdock stated. "He said he would be here on time."

"We'll give him another 10 minutes, then we'll go look for him." Hannibal decided.

Murdock nodded. "I'll go let BA know."

Before the Captain could go over to where the gold laden man stood keeping guard, the sounds of gun fire reached them. The big black man whirled, looking back towards his CO and teammate. Hannibal nodded, opening the van door and climbing in. BA broke into a run, making his way over to the driver's side of the van. Murdock climbed into the back, pulling the sliding door closed.

"Well, I think I know why Face is late." Hannibal pulled on his black gloves. "I just wonder what kind of trouble he's in."

"Sirens Colonel." Murdock pointed out another sound. "I betcha that it's Decker."

"Sorry Murdock, but that's one bet I won't take, since I happen to agree with you." The white haired Colonel agreed. "BA, lets go rescue Face."

BA didn't say anything in reply, just gunned the engine of his van and took off out of the park. It did not even take them five minutes before the team found the basic area where Face was. The sounds of sirens beckoned to them.

"Colonel, look. There goes Face into that alleyway." Murdock pointed.

"BA, head towards there. Maybe we can get to the other side of the alley before Decker and his cronies realize we're also here." Hannibal instructed.

At that moment, Starbuck came racing out of the alley, pulling his stunt with Decker and Crane.

"What's that fool doin' Hannibal?" BA growled. "He's crazier than the fool here."

"I don't know BA." Hannibal frowned, before breaking into a smile. "Still, I would have loved to have seen the expression on Decker's face when he saw Face pull that. Murdock, get the door open."

"Already moving, Colonel." The sound of the side door opening could be heard.

Hannibal lowered his window, and leaned out. "FACE! OVER HERE!" He yelled.

Starbuck heard the cry of Face, and looked towards where it originated from. He spotted the black conveyance that had a red stripe detail to it. A somewhat familar looking man leaned out the window in the front, while another was in an opening and waving. The sandy blonde Lieutenent started running in that direction.

"MOVE IT LIEUTENENT!" Hannibal ordered, trying to get the blonde to speed up. The sounds of gun fire was loud in his ears, but none of it came from the van.

Murdock remained in the open doorway, an M16 in one hand. He was ready to give cover fire to help Face reach the van as soon as the younger man was out of the line of fire. "Come on Face." The pilot murmured to himself. "Decker's getting closer."

Decker's eyes narrowed, as he sighted in on the running man. He knew that Peck was trying to reach the rest of his team, who had appeared just a moment before. "You're mine now Peck." The Army Colonel growled, as he pulled the trigger. The sound of more shots being fired filled the air.

Starbuck was almost to the vehicle, when he felt a searing pain lance along the left side of his head. He stumbled, fighting to remain on his feet and running. He brought his left hand up, carefully feeling the side of his scalp. When he brought his hand down, Starbuck saw red covering his hand. Blood. The sound of another shot being fired caused him to wince. Next thing that the extraterrestial human felt was white hot agony crossing along his left leg, quickly followed by the sensation of falling.

"Colonel, Face is down." Murdock cried out, disgarding his weapon before leaping from the van. "I'm going to get him."

The lanky pilot rushed over to his downed friend, and helped him up. "Come on Face, I've gotcha. We won't let anything else happen to ya."

Starbuck felt himself being pulled to his feet. His head throbbed in time with the injured leg. The Colonial Warrior fought to remain conscious, his thoughts hazy. He tried to recall what exactly it was that he was supposed to be doing, as he looked at Murdock. For some reason, he was supposed to know this man, but his mind refused to work as it should. Hannibal helped the Captain pull the wounded blonde into the van, slamming the door shut once his feet were clear.

"Go BA!" was the orders given. The van sped off.

"Do I know you?" Starbuck asked, as darkness overcame him.

Murdock looked over at Hannibal, fear and concern fighting each other on his face.

Crane brought the sedan to a stop, and then followed Decker out of the vehicle. The Colonel made his way over to where Face had fallen. He knelt down, and looked over the pavement. Giving a brief nod, the older man stood.

"What is it Sir?" Crane asked.

"Peck is wounded, in two different places." Decker answered. He pointed at the two different blood covered spots.

"Want me to order out teams to start cordoning off the hospitals, Sir?"

"Yes. We might get lucky. Depends on how serious Peck's injuries are."

"Yes Sir." Captain Crane returned to the car, and and got started.

"Damn it all to hell." Deckered murmured. He then also returned to the sedan.

Hannibal and Murdock treated Starbuck's wounds as best as they could. Once they made sure that the younger man wasn't in any serious danger of bleeding out, they both went to their respective seats and buckled in.

"How bad is he, Hannibal?" BA asked, concerned.

"His scalp and his left leg were both grazed." Hannibal answered. "After we make sure that we've lost Decker, head for Bad Rock. Face is going to need medical attention. He didn't reconize Murdock when he pulled Face in."

"You thinkin' he might have a concussion?"

"I'm pretty sure of that. I'm more concerned that he might be dealing with a case of amnesia." Hannibal frowned.

"Hannibal, if that's the case, we're going to have to go to ground for a while." Murdock pointed out.

"I know."

Elsewhere...

All was quiet at the moment on the bridge of the Galactica. The patrols were out, making sure that the fleet was secure. It was just how Flag Colonel Tigh prefered a duty shift to run. Commander Adama was in his office, overseeing the day to day logistics of the fleet as a whole. Captains Athena and Omega were at the long range scanner station, the tall man leaning over the woman's shoulder to look at the screen. Lieutenent Rigel was manning Core Control. Others were in their proper positions. Tigh knew that it was not going to last. It never did.

"Colonel, long range scanners are picking something up." Athena's voice called out. Tigh sighed, realising that the quietness that he was enjoying was now over. He made his way over to her station. Omega drew back, giving the older man room.

"Any indications as to what it could be yet?" Tigh asked.

"Not as yet. It's too far away. All we're getting is that something is out there, and it's coming towards us." Athena answered.

"Sir, Ensigns Troy and Dillon are on patrol in that general area." Rigel chimed in, alerting the Colonel. "Major Apollo and Strike Captain Boomer are on standby. We can scramble them in a micron, Colonel."

"No, not yet. I want more of an idea on what we might be dealing with first." Tigh decided. "However, do alert Troy and Dillon about what's going on. Have them check into it."

Rigel responded with a "Yes Sir." and busied herself following her orders.

Athena activated the Warbook, so it would be ready to start running comparisons as soon as the unknown craft was within range. A couple of centari later, the Warbook started running comparisons. It quickly came to a stop, displaying the ship type.

"Lieutenent Rigel, scramble Apollo and Boomer." Tigh ordered.

Down in the Wing Leader's office just off the pilots' ready room, Apollo and Boomer were going over various flight reports and other paperwork. A flashing light caught the attention of both men. In perfect unison they rose, grabbing up helms before heading to their respective Vipers.

"Now that's what I call perfect timing." Boomer commented to his friend and wingman. "That was getting boring."

"I can't disagree with you about that, Boomer." Apollo agreed, "Let's go find out what's going on."

Both men climbed into their fighters, pulled on their helms, and prepared for launch.

"Blue Scramble, you are cleared for launch when ready." Rigel's voice informed both men over the communications system.

"Blue One launching." Apollo responded, his actions matching his words. His body was thrown back against his seat, as the acceleration pushed his ship forward out into the stars.

"Blue Two launching." Boomer followed suit.

"Take vector heading three mark five." Rigel directed them. The two Vipers gracefully swooped upwards and towards the direction that their base ship was going in.

"Colonel, why the scramble?" Apollo asked, once they were established on their course setting. "Troy and Dillon didn't encounter anything potentially hostile, did they?"

"No." Tigh answered. "Apollo, there's an incoming craft coming in on that vector. Troy and Dillon are nearby, on a slightly different heading. They're also approaching the ship."

"Apollo, the Warbook identifies the craft as a Colonial Viper." Athena's voice cut in. "We don't have any MIA Vipers at the moment, except..."

"Starbuck." Apollo said, in a voice barely audible. Hope and grief warred within him. However, uncertainty was also gaining ground.

"That doesn't make sense. If it's Starbuck's Viper, it's coming from the wrong direction." Boomer joined in the coversation. "The area of space where he went missing from is five yahrens behind us."

"Ensigns Troy and Dillon, how long before you make visual contact?" Apollo asked his son and wingman.

"Already have, Sir." Troy answered. "We haven't closed in though, to see who is inside. There hasn't been any attempt at communication though."

"Don't go any closer. Just incase it's a trap of some kind." Apollo ordered.

"We'll have a retrieval shuttle ready within five centari." Tigh cut in. "If it isn't a trap, it will be on it's way as soon as you give the go ahead."

"Thank you Colonel." Apollo replied.

"Galactica out." Athena stated, before going quiet.

"Converging on the Viper's position." Boomer informed everyone. "I see our wayward ship."

Apollo looked around, visually locating the wing pair belonging to his son.

"Let's close in Boomer, and see if the occupant is Starbuck. Troy, Dillon, hold position. Be ready though." were the directions that were issued from the Major.

The two veteran pilots brought their ships in closer to the single Viper. Close enough to be able to see the pilot inside.

"It's Starbuck." Apollo cried out. "He's not wearing a helm, and looks to be unconsious. But it's him, as far as I can tell."

"Retrieval shuttle is on it's way." Athena's voice informed the pilots a micron later.

"Ensigns, you will escort the shuttle back to the Galactica along with Blue Scramble." Tigh's voice ordered. "Medical will be standing by when you arrive. Galactica out."

It took the better part of two centons for the shuttle to arrive, retrieve Starbuck's Viper, and the group of them to return to the Galactica. The shuttle with it's Viper in tow landed first. The remaining four fighters then each set down within the landing bay. As soon as Apollo had his canopy raised, he leaped out of the ship, and was headed over to where the techs were popping the canopy on Starbuck's Viper. Commander Adama was waiting for his son, keeping him from going too close.

"Apollo, we have to be certain that there is nothing wrong with Starbuck, and that he hasn't picked up any illnesses that could have ill affect on the rest of us." Adama reminded the younger man. "Doctor Ias will let us know when we can see him."

At that moment, the medtechs pulled Face out of the Viper's cockpit, and eased him onto a gurney. They took him into decon, before heading to the Life Center. Apollo and Adama watched the group the entire time, noting the alien clothing that the unconsious man was wearing. A Viper tech then walked over to them, and handed a small carryall to the Major.

"Sir, this was found in the Viper. It was in Starbuck's lap." The lady tech stated.

"Thank you Dida. I'll make sure that he gets it." Apollo replied. After Dida left, he and Adama went through decon, leaving the landing bay behind.

TBC...


	3. Chapter 2

Mirror Image 

By SyberJedi with lots of imput from Unit One

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from either Battlestar Galactica or The A-Team. The plot belongs to myself and to Unit One. Original characters are mine. I do own Face, but not Lieutenent Templeton "Faceman" Peck. My Face is a cat.

Author's note: All Colonial lexicon used in this fic is being pulled from the Battlestar Galactica novels that Richard Hatch wrote. This was to give a level of consistancy in the terms used.

Chapter Two

Doctor Ias was ready and waiting for his new patient to arrive from the landing bay.  
"Cassie, please pull up Lieutenent Starbuck's medical files and have them ready. We're going to do a full work up in order to completely update his files. Be ready to note any and all changes that have occured over the last five yahrens"  
"Already pulling them up and prepping them for updating." Cassie answered. "I wonder where Starbuck has been all this time"  
"You're not the only one to be wondering that. I was still just a medical apprentice when he vanished." Ias stated.  
"Maybe he will tell us once he wakes up." Cassie said, before adding, "Medical files are ready"  
"Thank you." Ias replied.  
Cassie and Ias worked together, getting things ready. Decontamination would take care of most bacteria and a good portion of any other inimical micronoscopic lifeforms that the long missing Lieutenent might have picked up over the course of his five yahrens absense. Still, there was a good chance that there could be something that could have been missed.

Down in decontamination, Persephone, the medtech in charge of the team taking Face to the Life Center, was running a scanner over the unconscious man. The others with her were busy divesting him of his unusual garments, very carefully.  
A heated blanket was then tucked around Face, as the decontamination process finished up. Persephone and the medical crew then took up positions and hauled the gurney off to the Life Center.

"Walk with me Apollo." Adama requested of his son. Apollo nodded, and moved along side his father. "Have you given any thoughts at all as to the possible circumstances of Starbuck's return"  
"I really haven't had time to do so, as yet. He can stay with me in my quarters, since Troy now lives in the barracks. I have plenty of room. Also, there really isn't any place for him to stay currently." Apollo stated.  
"Good idea. We need to look at the larger picture though too. We have no idea of what Starbuck has experienced during the five yahrens that he was missing. It might not be that easy for him to adapt back to our society here. There have been changes in how things are done that he would not know about." Adama theorised.  
"I'm more than willing to help him adapt. Boomer too, for that matter. I know he would also be willing to help out in anyway where Starbuck is concerned"  
"I wouldn't expect anything else from either you or Boomer. You three have always stuck together." Adama smiled. "Starbuck, for the time being, is releaved of duty. It's mainly to give him the chance and the time to adjust, and to catch up on the changes that the Vipers have undergone. Hopefully, he hasn't undergone anything that will endanger the rest of us. He's also confined to the Galactica, for his safety. We don't need it getting out to the civillian population just yet that he's back"  
"What about the Quorum?" Apollo asked.  
"I'll deal with them in time. At the moment, Starbuck's return is a military only matter, and I plan on keeping it that way." Adama replied. He gave his son a smile. "I suggest you go and fill Boomer in. I have the feeling that the both of you are going to be really busy after Starbuck wakes up and is released from the Life Center. I'll make sure that you and Boomer are notified when he does. Besides, it won't do you or Starbuck any good if you're distracting Ias, Cassie and the other medical staff from their duties"  
Apollo chuckled at that.  
"Thank you. I'll see you when we're summoned." Apollo then departed in a seperate direction, heading towards his office. Adama headed for the bridge.

Apollo entered his office a few microns later. Boomer was there waiting for him, working on the paperwork that they had abandoned when they were scrambled.  
"I was wondering if you were going to return to help me finish this stuff up, or go hang around Life Center waiting for Bucko to wake up." Boomer stated, as Apollo sat down.  
"It was pointed out to me that it would be better for me and for the medical staff to not be onhand distracting them.  
Also, I was informed that when Starbuck does wake up that we would be notified." Apollo informed his friend, before filling him in on what he and Adama had discussed.  
Boomer sat back after Apollo finished talking. He placed his hands behind his head, linking his fingers together, and let out a low whistle.  
"I noticed that nothing was stated about what we're up against if Starbuck's experiences have drasticly changed him.  
What if he can't adapt?" Boomer pointed out. "What do we do then? Remember that Starbuck, when he gets his mind on something, is a force to be reckoned with and nigh unstoppable. Not even your father and Colonel Tigh can head Starbuck off when he's determined. Especially if he's feeling responcible or it's something that involves you. And if I remember correctly, you nor I are what can be called successfull at it either. In fact, we usually end up getting dragged into it"  
"You do have a point." Apollo sighed. "Still, with him coming home, it has to mean that he's willing to do his best to adapt"  
"We can hope. But being willing does not mean able." Boomer pointed out.  
"Starbuck has always been one to beat the odds." Apollo reminded the other man. "Plus, he has us on his side. With us helping him, it increases things in his favor"  
"True." Boomer agreed. "How about we finish up our paperwork, so we're free and clear to spend the rest of the day with Starbuck once he wakes up"  
Apollo nodded in agreement, and both men resumed what they had been doing before they were scrambled.

Cassie looked up from her station when Persephone and her team brought Face in. The tall redhead went over to her station and started downloading the data that she had gathered while in decontamination and enroute to the Life Center.  
"As far as can be determined, the Lieutenent has not picked up any thing harmful that is known to us. He came through decontamination clean." Persephone stated. "Also from what can be determined, the Lieutenent is sleeping naturally. There are no known substances to us that would indicate him being drugged. Also, there isn't any sign of recent trauma that would indicate unconsciousness. In fact, the only signs of injury that we could find were a couple of scabbed over areas where it looked like he was nicked by something. It's obvious that they're pretty well healed." "Thanks Seph." Cassie smiled at the younger woman. She then got to work, pulling the blood samples that Ias had requested for the needed bloodwork.  
"You're welcome Cassie. My team and I need to be getting back to Alpha Bay." Persephone replied, before leading her team out.  
Cassiopeia nodded, quickly returning to her work. The blood that she had just pulled was loaded into a scanner, in order to start getting Starbuck's records updated. She keyed in the start sequence, then made her way over to where the sleeping Lieutenent was. Cassie's eyes studied him, her eyes taking in the changes of his hairstyle and the fact that Starbuck did not seem to have aged any at all during the time he was missing. The computer beeped, indicating that it was finished with the updating.  
"That's odd. It shouldn't be finished already." Cassie stated to herself, as she went over to check on the system.  
She started pulling up the results, and could not believe what they read. Cassie ran the bloodwork again, just as Ias returned.  
"Doctor, I think we might have a problem." Cassie informed Ias.  
"What is it Cassie?" Ias asked.  
"Well, according to the computer, the man that was in the Viper is not Starbuck." The medtech answered. "I'm redoing it just to be certain.  
Ias went over to where Cassiopeia was working, and started looking at the new set of results that were coming in. None of them matched the records that they had on file for Starbuck. They were an exact match to the first set of results that had come up mere microns before.  
"Start doing further indepth work ups. Starbuck's genetic profile is on record, so we can go to that level on this man in order to compare. Also, see if you can match him to any of the twelve Tribes." Ias instructed.  
"Already on it. It will take a few more centari though before it's ready." Cassie responded. Ias only nodded, as he went over to where Starbuck's 'twin' lay sleeping.  
The Colonial Doctor studied the man who lay before him. The facial features were identical to the person who had gone missing five yahrens ago. Something glinted catching Ias's eyes, causing the younger man to look closer. A light color chain of some unknown metal winked in the light. A cross of the same material was on the chain.  
"Cassie, did Lieutenent Starbuck wear jewelry of any kind?" Ias asked her, as he straightened up.  
"No. None. Except his medals when in dress uniform. Or what ever insignias he was required to wear on his uniform. Why do you ask?" Cassie replied.  
"This man is wearing a pendant of some kind, with a cross on it." Ias answered. "A cross? That is odd. Crosses aren't usually concidered decoration, since they're torture devices." Cassie was puzzled. The computer beeped, letting her and Ias know that it was finished running the lastest set of tests.  
Cassie pulled up the results, and gasped. Ias came over to where she was standing, and looked over her shoulders at them.  
"There are no matches with any of the Tribes. Not even partial or remote matches. Also, according to this, there are no known micronoscopic organisms that are known to the Colonies." Cassie turned to look at Ias. "All it will state is that this man, who ever he is, is human like us. There are some slight differences, which exist from Tribe to Tribe, and Colony to Colony. With that being the case, we're looking at someone who can only be from the long lost Thirteenth Tribe"  
"Cassie, if you're saying what I think you're saying, I suggest that you pull another blood sample, and start having it analyzed for alien micronorganisms now. Then you need to get him innoculated against every known illness that we have that are native to us. There is no way to tell what can happen to any of us if he were to catch one of our illnesses. His alien system could mutate it into something deadly to us all. By the Lords, I hope he's not carrying something unknown that he has been exposed to but has yet to come down with. We're going to have to come up with innoculations for any possible illnesses that are native to his world, from his blood." Ias started issuing instructions, as he started setting up a whole new set of medical records for the foreign human. "I'm going to be in my office for a bit. I need to talk with Commander Adama right away before he gets here"  
"Should we isolate him then, for the meantime?" Cassie asked.  
"It wouldn't do any good at the moment. Luckily exposure has been minimal. If the Commander hasn't already issued orders to keep him restricted to the Galactica, that will be the next step. As we work up innoculations for possible illnesses that our visitor brought with him, we can start with the crew of the Galactica, and then deal with the rest of fleet as we go from there. We should be alright since he did go through decontamination." With that said, Ias ducked into his office, while Cassie set to work.

Adama was going over reports when his intercom chimed, letting him know that someone was trying to reach him. The Commander answered it, and smiled with he saw that it was Doctor Ias.  
"Starbuck is awake already?" He asked the younger man.  
"No. And that's why I'm contacting you. The man that was in the Lieutenent's Viper is not Starbuck. We have not discovered his identity as yet, since he is still asleep." Ias informed Adama. "Starbuck's medical records are still on file, including genetic information. There was no match at all. In fact, our guest does not match in anyway at all, any of the known Tribes from the Colonies"  
Adama's eyes went wide at that. "You're saying that this man, who is an identical look alike to one of our missing Warriors, could possibly be from Earth"  
"Yes. Every indication I have tells me that. Everything about him on a medical level is alien to us." Ias replied.  
"The one thing that does get indicated is that he is human just like the rest of us. We're going to have to be extremely careful with him. I suggest that orders be issued to keep him confined to the Galactica. It would be even better if we could restrict who has contact with him"  
"Then you will be pleased to learn that I have already issued orders to keep our guest confined to the Galactica. I've also started laying the groundwork to keep him away from the Council as well." Adama informed Ias.  
"Excellent idea. If our guest is really from Earth, this will give us a chance to learn about our new home before we get there. And since we have no clue as to the tech level of Earth society, there is no telling how he is going to react"  
Ias pointed out. "We'll have to hold off on anything else, until after our guest is awake." Adama decided. "I'll let you know as soon as he starts showing signs of waking up. Ias out." Ias stated, before signing off.  
Adama turned off his intercom, and let out a sigh. He rubbed his hand acrossed his forehead as he let the information that he had just learned sink in better. The Commander was not looking forward to filling Apollo in that the man they had brought back was not the missing Starbuck.

Meanwhile, on Earth...

"That should do until we get to Maggie's." Murdock declared, as he finished rebandaging Starbuck's leg and head. "Neither injury looks that bad. However, Face has a nasty bruise forming on his forehead along with a goose egg sized lump"  
Hannibal frowned at that. BA spotted it.  
"Face is gonna be okay, Hannibal." BA assured their leader. "He always is"  
"I'm not worried about the physical injuries. I'm more concerned about the possible memory loss." Hannibal answered.  
"If Face has lost his memory, we'll help him to find it again." Murdock decided on the spot.  
"Hannibal, I believe that we've lost Decker. I'm going to start heading us towards Bad Rock now." BA finally stated. "I'll stick with a round about way for now, until I'm completely sure that we've given Decker the slip"  
The Colonel nodded, as Murdock slipped back into his seat.

The four hour trip to Bad Rock passed quietly. Starbuck was woken up several times, but he remained quiet. He did ask for water occasionally, before slipping back into an uneasy sleep. During these moments, Murdock would watch him, hoping to see some sign of Face knowing his surroundings and friends. None came though.

"I wish there was a way that we could keep him awake." Hannibal stated, as they rode along. It was dangerous to allow someone with a possible concussion to sleep, but there wasn't a whole lot of choice due to the length of the trip to reach Maggie's.  
"He's going to be okay Colonel." Murdock declared, in a hopeful voice. "At least he wakes up when we check him"  
"We're almost there Hannibal." BA informed them. "Less than an hour to go"  
"Good. I'm not liking Face's unresponsiveness to any of us inspite of him waking up every so often."

Starbuck had used the time of the trip to learn more about the three men he was with, and from them he learned about the man he was pretending to be. Not that John hadn't been thorough in his briefing, but there were still things that he could not cover. Starbuck liked the camraderie that the team shared with one another, with it wrapping around him like a blanket. They were more than just a close knit unit, they had become a family. It was abvious to Starbuck that the relationship that Murdock shared with Face was along the same lines as the one that Starbuck had with Apollo and Boomer. He would be the most dangerous one of the three. As for the other two, Starbuck had yet to completely define the dynamics between Face and them past the obvious. Something gave him the feeling that Hannibal and Face had a relationship with one another that was simular to the one that Starbuck had with Commander Adama, an almost father/son standing. As for BA, that was the one that had him the most puzzled. Starbuck had never experienced what it was like to have a big brother, not even an "adoptive" one. So he didn't have a frame of reference to use. He wasn't worried though, Starbuck would figure it out eventually. He drifted off to sleep, hoping that it would ease the throbbing in his head.

Maggie Sullivan was waiting for them, with a wheelchair ready for Starbuck, when the A-Team arrived. She started barking orders as soon as Hannibal had his door open.  
"Hannibal, you hold the wheel chair. I also want you to hold the door open once Face is in it. BA, Murdock, get Face out of the van and wheel him inside quickly. I have everything ready." Maggie instructed. "Has there been a lot of bleeding"  
"No there hasn't. The wounds are minor. Face was almost to us when he was hit. Both were grazes." Hannibal answered. All three men jumped to do Maggie's bidding. "He did hit his head though, when he went down"  
"Facey has a nasty lump on his forehead the size of a goose egg." Murdock added, as he helped BA pull Starbuck out of the van. "So I see. Let's get him inside, and I can go over Face thoroughly there." Maggie headed on in, heading directly for her little surgery. The guys followed.

Once inside, Maggie had Hannibal assist her with getting Starbuck up onto the examination table. He was then shooed out of the room. She then started examining her patient.  
"Hello Lieutenent. Do you remember me?" Maggie asked Starbuck.  
"No. Should I?" Starbuck replied.  
"Well, you have been here before a few times." Maggie stated. She then examined the lump on his head. "That's a nasty bump you have there. Murdock did a good job with the bandage. I need to remove it, and it's going to hurt since it's sticking to some of your hair. I can cut it, if you don't have a problem with that"  
"Feel free. I'm in enough pain already. I don't need anymore inflicted on me." Starbuck replied. "So, who are you"  
"I'm Doctor Maggie Sullivan, Face. I've helped you and the rest of your team out in the past a couple of times when you've needed medical attention." Maggie informed him. "How well do you recall them"  
"Not very well. I recall their names, and their ranks, but that's basicly it." Starbuck replied, telling the truth.  
Maggie frowned at hearing that. She then went over a battery of questions, including some concerning Face's time spent in Vietnam. Starbuck only managed to answer a select few of the questions, and his responces were vague more often than not.  
While she asked her questions, Maggie carefully cut away the bandage on Starbuck's forehead, and cleaned out the wound there. She then prepared the area to be stitched.  
"Alright Face, I'm going to numb the area of your forehead now, so I can stitch it closed." Maggie informed Starbuck.  
"Then I'm going to work on your leg. If you like, I can give you something to let you sleep"  
"Please. My head is throbbing." Starbuck answered. He wanted to rub his forehead where it ached, but refrained from doing so. Maggie quickly administered the drug, and allowed it to start working before continuing on with tending to Starbuck's injuries.  
Starbuck gave a small sigh of relief as the painkiller kicked in. He also hoped that John and his compatriots of the White Lights had innoculated him against Earth origin micronorganisms. For that matter, he hoped that they did something to protect the Earth humans from any that he might be naturally harboring in his own system. It would not be a good thing to be the origin of new diseases on the planet either, especially since from what Starbuck could see in Maggie's Life Center, Earth medical technology seemed on the primitive side in comparison to Colonial medical technology.  
"Okay Face, I'm finished stitching you up." Maggie stated a bit later, bringing Starbuck out of his musings. She had a pair of crutches in her hands, holding them out to him. "I want you to use these when you have to cover any kind of distance, especially outside. For inside, you can go without them in a couple of days. Now, why don't you go join the others, while I see about getting some medications I want you to take. Tell Hannibal I would like to talk with him, please"  
Starbuck took the crutches, seeing that there was not any differences in how they looked from crutches on the Galactica, except maybe for the materials they were made with. Very carefully, he slipped off the exam table, making sure that his weight went completely on his uninjured right leg. Starbuck then adjusted the crutches under his arms, before gingerly making his way out of the room.  
Maggie watched the younger man, as he made his way out. She wanted to be sure that he wasn't going to have any problems handling the crutches. Face did not seem to be having any problems with them, for which Maggie was glad to see.  
She sighed, and then set to work putting together the medications she wanted the Lieutenent to take for the next several days.  
Moving with care, Starbuck followed the sounds of voices to where the A-Team was located. Murdock, on seeing him, bounced up and quickly made his way to the blonde's side.  
"Feeling better Faceman?" The lanky Earth pilot asked.  
"Somewhat. I'm not hurting anyways, at the moment." Starbuck replied. He slowly moved towards where Hannibal was sitting. "Colonel, Maggie asked me to tell you that she wants to talk to you"  
"Thank you Face. I'll go as soon as you're settled." Hannibal answered, rising from where he was sitting. He helped Starbuck get situated on a recliner with his injured leg elevated before going to see what Maggie wanted.

Hannibal walked into the examination room.  
"You wanted to see me about something Maggie?" He asked.  
"Yes." Maggie replied, before starting her explanation. "I wanted to let you know what I discovered. From what I can tell, Face definantly has a case of amnesia. He doesn't remember me at all, not even how we met. He does recall you and the others, but does not recall how he met you completely. Past that, he doesn't recall much about his childhood, other than the fact that he's an orphan and grew up in a religious orphanage"  
Maggie handed Hannibal a couple of pill bottles.  
"These are the medications I want Face to take for the next week. One is an antibiotic. It's pretty strong, so watch him for adverse reactions. The other is for pain. Directions are on the bottles. He needs to take ALL of the antibiotic"  
"Is there anything we can do to help Face regain his memories?" Hannibal wondered.  
"Staying in a familar place would be best, but I know that's not possible for you all. If you have a safe place where you can all go to ground for a while that you've stayed at before, that would be best. Don't push him to try and remember.  
That does not tend to help any at all. There's a good chance that Face will recall everything once his head injury heals"  
Maggie stated in reply. "For now, I prescribe rest and relaxation for all of you. Get some fishing in. Come back in two weeks so I can see how well Face is healing. Sooner if he has a reaction to the medications or if his injuries become infected. And don't be suprised if he does things that he would not normally do"  
"Thanks Maggie." Hannibal kissed her. "We owe you one"  
"Actually, you owe me several. But don't worry about me collecting on them just yet." Maggie replied, returning the kiss. "Will you all stick around for dinner? I know you can't stay long, but I would like to see Face eat something and keep it down"  
"No concussion"  
"Suprisingly, no. And I would have figured on him having one with the knot on his head"  
"Yeah, we'll be glad to have dinner with you, Maggie. It would be wonderful to have a good home cooked meal for a change." Hannibal agreed to the invite. "Thank you"  
"Welcome. Let's go tell the others and decide on what to have then." Maggie replied, before guiding Hannibal out of the room.  
The pair walked into Maggie's living room. They saw Starbuck relaxing on the recliner with his leg up, and his eyes closed. Murdock was sitting in on the couch, reading a comic book. There was no sign of BA.  
"Murdock, where's BA?" Hannibal asked.  
"Moving the van around back. He didn't want it out in the open." Murdock answered, putting his comic down.  
BA entered at that moment, coming in through the kitchen.  
"The van is all set. I went and put some more gas in it, since it had been a while from when we stopped last. How's Face?" BA inquired.  
"Face is going to be alright. No concussion, but he does have an extensive case of amnesia. It's not total though. He does know who you all are, but not much more than that." Maggie answered. "Now, what would you all like for dinner? I've invited you all to stay and Hannibal has agreed"  
"Barbeque chicken, potato salad, and the works." Murdock rattled off, not giving anyone else a chance to answer.  
Maggie looked at Hannibal and BA with a questioning expression.  
"Sounds good to me. Along with plenty of milk." BA agreed.  
"I have no problems with it. It's been awhile since I've been able to enjoy grilling." Hannibal grinned.  
"Okay. I'll have to go to the store, since I don't have everything needed." Maggie went over to where Starbuck was.  
"Anything you would like special to eat or drink, Face?" Starbuck opened his eyes and looked up at Maggie.  
"I don't really know. Some juice of some kind, nothing real sweet? And maybe some kind of a confection for dessert"  
Starbuck requested. He shrugged his shoulders. "I'll let you pick"  
"Okay. I'll do that." Maggie turned to look at the other three men. "My grill is in the shed. It will need to be cleaned thoroughly before it can be used. The key for it is on the wall by the back door"  
"Maggie, can I go with you to the store?" Murdock requested.  
"Sure." Maggie agreed. "Hannibal, would you get some potatoes and eggs started for a potato salad"  
"Alright. Murdock, help pay for anything Maggie gets." Hannibal ordered. Murdock nodded, then followed Maggie out the door. "Face, if you need me, I'll be right in the kitchen"  
"Alright." Starbuck replied, as he closed his eyes again.  
"I'll go get to work on the grill, Hannibal." BA decided, as he headed for the backyard. He paused long enough to snag the keys. Hannibal set to work on the potatoes and eggs, situating himself so he could keep an eye on the injured Lieutenent. Once they were cooking, the older man went to sit on the couch and relax. Silence reigned for a while. Starbuck allowed his thoughts to wander, while he rested. He found himself comparing the members of the A-Team to his chosen family back on the Galactica. Hannibal was like Adama in that he was a capable leader, and how he looked out for his men. BA kind of reminded him of Boomer, even if it was just a little. Both men liked to tinker, at least that was the impression that Starbuck got when BA went outside to deal with the grill. Murdock, on the other hand, sort of reminded him of Apollo. Both were deep individuals. Granted, Apollo was mainly serious. But there were time when he would pull something that some would call insane. As insane as Murdock gave the impression of being. The extraterrestrial Lieutenent took a deep breath with that thought, and inhaled the scent that reminded him of tuber. His stomach rumbled slightly at the alien yet delicious smell.

Maggie and Murdock walked around the grocery store, the lanky pilot pushing the cart. They were having an animated conversation, with Murdock telling Maggie about Tawnia hiring the team to help rescue her then boyfriend at the time, Brian Leftcourt.  
"The Coffin?" Maggie laughed. "What kind of name is that for a river pirate? That's crazier than you"  
"Yeah, one would think so too." Murdock replied. He started looking at ears of corn. "Hey, this corn looks really good. Face likes corn"  
"Corn on the cob sounds good to me." Maggie agreed, helping to choose several ears. "We need to figure out what kind of meat to get"  
"Chicken. And maybe some steaks. It's been a while since I've had a good steak." Murdock suggested.  
"Good idea. Plus you can take the chicken with you to eat cold, even if it is covered in barbeque sauce." Maggie counted the ears. "Now, I need to get some sauce, mayo, mustard, eggs, and the items Face requested"  
"Doc, is Face going to be okay?" The lanky pilot asked, stopping the cart. "I really need to know, he's my best friend"  
"HM, Face is going to be fine, physically. And he should be fine where his memory is concerned, once that knot is healed." Maggie tried to reassure Murdock. "I really can't say more in concern to his memory though. It's too uncertain.  
But he should be okay"  
"Thanks Maggie. It helps me to hear it from you." Murdock grinned. "Can we get a chocolate cake"  
Maggie laughed, and agreed to Murdock's request as they continued their shopping.

BA entered the kitchen, making sure to wipe his feet before walking across the clean floor. Hannibal was standing at the sink, draining the water off the potatoes.  
"Face is sleeping at the moment, BA." Hannibal stated, as he looked over at the burly Sargeant.  
"Good. Little Brother needs all the sleep he can get to heal." BA stated, as he soaped up his hands, preparing to wash them. "I hope Maggie and Murdock get some charcoal. She's almost out"  
"Well, if they don't, one of us can always go back out and get some." The Colonel replied. "While we're waiting for them to get back, I would like you to start putting together a list of essentuals that we're going to need while we're laying low"  
"Gotcha. I'll get on it now, and we can add to it over the afternoon and evening." BA agreed, as he rinsed his hands off. Hannibal tucked the potatoes into the fridge. Maggie and Murdock returned at that moment, each carrying a couple of bags of groceries.  
"Colonel, how does steak and barbeque chicken sound for dinner?" Murdock inquired.  
"Sounds like a plan to me, Captain." Hannibal replied with a grin. "Maggie, did you happen to pick up more charcoal?  
BA said that you're almost out"  
"In the trunk of my car. If the Sargeant is willing to help unload I will highly appreciate it." Maggie answered. "Where's Face"  
"He's sleeping on your recliner in the living room." Came the answer from Hannibal. "I've been keeping an eye on him.  
The potatoes and eggs you requested are in the refridgerator, cooling"  
BA and Murdock both headed outside to go fetch the other groceries.  
"Face is going to be fine, John." Maggie started unloading the bags. "You and Murdock are both being over protective of him"  
"We have good reasons to be. Even BA is protective of Face." Hannibal answered.  
"Yes, I know. You're all lucky men to have each other." Maggie opened the fridge, and placed a carton of eggs inside.  
She smiled when she saw the items that Hannibal had prepared.

Working together, Maggie and the three members of the A-Team quickly got the groceries unloaded and placed away. BA then headed back outside to get the charcoal loaded into the grill and fired up. Hannibal set to peeling the hardboiled eggs, before he cubed part of them and sliced the rest. Maggie set Murdock to shucking the corn, then took a glass of water over to Starbuck. She placed it on a nearby table, then returned to the kitchen to start on the dressing for the potato salad.  
Starbuck woke up a moment later, and spotted the water. He carefully lifted the glass, since the medications he had been given were making him feel a bit shaky. Taking a careful sip at first, the extraterrestial found himself all but gulping the clear liquid down. Starbuck marveled at that, since he wasn't a huge fan of water as a beverage. But it had been an extremely long time since he had been able to drink fresh, unrecycled water. Back in the Fleet, it was a valuable commodity, so Starbuck tended to save his water rations for a good turboshower, and he drank other things instead. A pang of homesickness struck at that moment, causing him to briefly wish for his two best friends. Starbuck hoped that Boomer was looking out for Apollo. He gave a sigh, putting the glass down. There was nothing he could do about it currently. All he could do was his assignment, and look forward to the time when he would finally be able to return home.  
Noises from the kitchen caught his attention, along with the smells of food being prepared. Starbuck grabbed his crutches, and carefully stood up. A brief, longing look at the empty glass made Starbuck wish that there was a way for him to take it with him, but he knew that it wasn't possible. Moving carefully, the blonde made his way to join the others.  
He entered the room, and the one he knew as Murdock sprang up from where he was sitting.  
"Face, you're awake. How ya feelin?" The lanky Earth born pilot asked. He moved a chair around for the other man to sit in.  
"I've been better. I've been worse too, I think." Starbuck replied. He carefully sat down in the chair that Murdock got for him. "Thank you"  
"Welcome Facey. Are you feeling hungry?" Murdock responded. He went back to shucking the corn.  
"Yeah, I am. I'm also thirsty still." Starbuck replied. "I finished the water that someone left for me in the other room. Thank you who ever did that"  
"I did, and you're welcome Face. Would you like more water, or something else?" Maggie inquired.  
"Water please for now." Starbuck replied. "Murdock, what are you doing"  
"I'm shucking corn. Want to help"  
"Sure. Show me what to do, please"  
Murdock showed Starbuck how to remove the husks, and then the corn silk. Once he had the gist of what to do, the two pilots set to work. After cleaning several ears apiece, Murdock flung some of the cornsilk at Starbuck. The alien human responded in kind, and a small battle broke out between the two men. Maggie and Hannibal continued on what they were doing, laughing as they watched the two younger men play as they worked. Hannibal was pleased to see it, as it meant to him that Face should recover his memory.

Back on the Galactica...

Apollo and Boomer were just finishing up the last of their reports, when the intercom chimed.  
"Major Apollo here." Apollo answered it.  
"Apollo, good. I caught you just in time. Is Boomer still there as well." Adama's voice asked.  
"Yes sir." Boomer replied. "We were just getting ready to leave, Commander"  
"I need you both to come up to my office, please." The Commander informed them.  
"We'll be there as soon as we can, Commander." Apollo responded. "Has Starbuck woken up"  
"I have not been informed if he has or hasn't." Adama answered. "Alright. See you in a few centari." Apollo deactivated the intercom. The two pilots stood up, and headed on out of the office. "Let's go see what the Commander wants."

Adama stepped out of his office and onto the bridge.  
"Tigh, when Apollo and Boomer arrive, would you please tell them to come to my office." Adama requested.  
"Certainly Commander. Does it pertain to Starbuck?" Tigh responded, making an inquery.  
"Yes." Adama replied. "Speaking of which, issue orders that access to Starbuck is limited to military personnel only.  
He is currently a military only matter, and I will not have the Council harrassing him"  
"Anything else?" Tigh asked. "Yes. Apollo and Boomer are hereby detailed to protection duty for Starbuck"  
The look that the Colonel gave Adama was puzzled and suprised. "Commander, why would Starbuck need protection and Warrior protection at that"  
"I will fill you in later. It's vital though." Adama responded.  
"Yes Sir." Tigh answered, as Adama turned to head back into the office. The Colonel sighed, as he returned to his duty station. Starbuck was a good one for causing chaos back before he went missing, and it seemed that was one thing that had certainly not changed after five yahrens. And the man wasn't even awake.

"I wouldn't put it past the Commander to pull us both from flight duty to babysit Starbuck while he gets used to being back." Boomer declared, as he and Apollo entered the ascensior. "Bridge"  
The doors closed and they started to rise.  
"Good thing you didn't ask to wager me on it. I wouldn't take that bet because I'm in agreement with you after the conversation I had with him earlier." Apollo agreed.  
"Why do I get the feeling that I'm about to be dragged into something once again due to Starbuck"  
"Well, because you are. But not due to Starbuck. It's my fault this time. However it is on Starbuck's behalf." Apollo answered, honestly. "I told Dad that you and I would be willing to help Starbuck adapt to being back on the Galactica"  
Boomer tried to glare at Apollo, but it didn't last for very long.  
"You know me too well." Boomer stated. "Because you're correct about that. Without Starbuck around, something has been missing"  
"Yeah, I agree with you on that. We've been missing a part of ourselves." Apollo agreed. The ascensior stopped at that moment, and the doors opened. The two pilots stepped out onto the bridge to find Colonel Tigh waiting for them.  
"Commander Adama is waiting for you in his office so go on in." Tigh ordered. "No word on Starbuck as yet"  
"Thank you Colonel." Both men stated as they headed for the bridge office. The door chimed once and slid open to let them enter. The two pilots entered, and the door closed.

"Apollo, Boomer, would either of you like a drink?" Adama asked, indicating the carafe that stood on his desk filled with a bright red liquid. When both men turned him down, he gestured towards the sofa. "Have a seat. This is informal"  
"So, Father, why did you ask us to come here?" Apollo jumped into the thick of it. "It's something to do with Starbuck, isn't it"  
"Yes." Adama answered. "First off, I'm pulling both of you off of flight duty and detailing to his protection"  
Boomer's eyes narrowed as he noted the phrasing that the older man used instead of Starbuck's name.  
"We were expecting that." Boomer admitted. Apollo nodded. "There's something else though, isn't there"  
Apollo looked from his father to his friend, confusion briefly visible in his eyes.  
"Yes, there is. Doctor Ias contacted me not that long ago. It turns out that the occupant of Starbuck's Viper is not Starbuck at all." Both pilots jumped up from their spots. "WHAT"  
"How? It has to be Starbuck. You saw him yourself." Apollo protested.  
"The man might be identical in appearance to Starbuck, but he's not geneticly. From what I was told, Starbuck's twin, for want of a better word, does not even hail from the Colonies." Adama answered, continuing. "Ias also informed me that on every medical level that our guest is alien to us. He did comfirm that the man is human, but not of Colonial stock"  
"So what you are telling us Sir, is that through some unknown means to us, we have a member of an unknown tribe with us, and he just happens to look like Starbuck." Boomer stated, begining to pace.  
"There's more, isn't there?" Apollo asked, never taking his eyes off Adama.  
"Yes. Ias also stated that all indications give our guest's origins as being a member of the lost Thirteenth Tribe, and that he most likely comes from Earth." Adama rose at that point, and went over to the carafe. He poured three glasses and handed one to Apollo and Boomer. Neither pilot declined this time, instead they drank them down quickly.  
"So, what are we going to do?" Boomer asked.  
"Keep him away from the Quorum for one thing." Apollo stated.  
"Yes. Also, our guest is confined to the Galactica for now. For security purposes, we'll let them believe that he is Starbuck. An injured Starbuck at that, who has gaps in his memory and other medical problems that require access to him kept limited." Adama decided.  
"I have a suggestion that might also help." Boomer added. "The Celestial Explorer"  
Apollo looked at the darker man, a smile forming on his face as he realised what his friend was intending.  
"Go on." encouraged Adama. "I would like to hear this"  
"The Celestial Explorer is almost ready to enter active duty. She's a small, fast ship. If we need to, we can put a crew together that we can trust completely and sequester our guest on her until it's safe." Boomer revealed his idea.  
"We'll have to use it as our fallback plan, if all else fails. The Explorer is too small to indefinantly sustain a crew for extended periods of time." Apollo added. "However, if it becomes necessary, we can always use it to return our visitor home, and scout out Earth in advance"  
"Agreed." Adama nodded. "Let's go ahead and decide on a crew now, so when the time comes to use this plan, we can have everything in place. We'll need Tigh's imput on this"  
The Colonel was called in, and the four men set to work.

Simultaneously, over in the Life Center...

Lieutenent Templeton Peck slowly woke up. The sounds of various machines softly filled his ears. The noise almost reminded him of the sounds that could be heard in a hospital. However, Face could not recall being injured at all. The last thing he could recall was running into an alley in an effort to escape Decker and his goons before everything went black. He opened his eyes, and started to sit up as he looked around. Alien sights filled Face's eyes. He did not reconise anything about his surroundings. Computers were taking readings that were in a language that the Lieutenent did not comprehend one bit. The sandy blonde then realised that except for the silver blanket that covered him, he had no clothes on. At that moment, movement caught his attention. Face looked towards it, and spotted the blonde woman walking by.  
"Hey! Who are you? And can you tell me where I am?" Face called out, in English.  
Cassiopeia whirled, coming into the room. She saw that their visitor was awake and saying something to her, but she didn't understand what he was asking.  
"I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're saying." Cassie shook her head.  
Face recoiled, suprise crossing his face briefly. He could understand what the pretty blonde woman was saying to him.  
Even more, he realised that he could speak her language.  
"I asked who you are, and where I am." The Lieutenent replied.  
"I'm Cassiopeia, and you're in the Galactica's Life Center." Cassie responded. "I'll be right back"  
Face watched Cassie retreat backwards away from him, before she turned around to go. He gave a brief nod of approval,  
since it indicated that she knew he was a possible danger. He kept watch through the door, trying to figure out where he was, and how he came to understand and speak a foreign language.

Cassie backed away from Starbuck's duplicate, before turning around and fleeing.  
"Ias! IAS!" She cried out, as she moved through the Life Center.  
Ias stepped out of his office. "Yes Cassie"  
"He's awake. Our alien guest." Cassie informed him. "And strangely enough, he speaks our language"  
Ias looked startled. He then gave himself a slight shake, and sighed.  
"Okay. Go back to our guest and remain with him. I'll be along in a moment. I need to contact Commander Adama and let him know. See if you can find out the name of our visitor"  
"Alright." Cassie went back to where Face was.

Brilliant blue eyes explored the room that Face found himself in. There were no visible windows, but he had the impression that he was in some kind of a vessel. He wished he had some idea of how he ended up where ever it was. Not that that was a bad thing. At least he had managed to escape Decker and his goons again.  
Cassie entered the room, catching Face's attention.  
"Hello. My name is Cassiopeia." Cassie introduced herself again. "And you are"  
Face remained silent, refusing to answer. Cassie decided to try and draw him out.

Ias, as soon as Cassie left, activated the intercom. Adama answered it.  
"Commander, our guest has woken up." Ias informed him.  
"Thank you Doctor Ias. We'll be there as quickly as we can." Adama's voice responded.  
"We, Commander?" Ias asked.  
"Major Apollo and Strike Captain Boomer will be accompanying me." was the reply.  
"Oh yes. Of course. See you when you arrive then. Life Center out." Ias cut the intercom off.

Ias was waiting for Adama, Boomer and Apollo when they walked into the Life Center.  
"This way Commander, gentlemen." Ias lead them to where their visitor was. "Cassie has been staying with him for the moment. There is a couple of things that will need to be done where our guest is concerned. He needs to come in on a weekly basis for innoculations. This is extremely important, since if he catches anything that is common place to us, he can mutate it into something dangerous. Plus we don't know how his system would handle one of our minor illnesses. The other thing that needs to be done is to keep a log of everything he eats or drinks. There is no telling how his system will react to our food or beverages. The log will help pinpoint problems if he has a reaction to something he consumes. Oh yes,  
keep him away from the flight decks"  
The group came to a stop outside of the room where Cassie and Face were at. Ias cleared his throat just loud enough to let them know that others had arrived.  
"Hello. I'm Doctor Ias. This is Commander Adama, our leader." Ias introduced himself. "And you are"  
Face looked over at the four men, taking their measure before answering. Cassie headed for the exit.  
"I'll leave this to you." Cassie stated. "He won't talk to me, other than when he first woke up"  
The blonde medtech left, leaving the four men to deal with their visitor. Adama stepped further into the room.  
"It would make things a whole lot easier if you would tell us your name." Adama informed the Earth born man. "This is my son, Major Apollo. With him is his second, Strike Captain Boomer. And you are"  
Army ranks, they're using army ranks was Face's first thoughts. Except for the Commander. He took a deep breath.  
"I'm Lieutenent Templeton Peck." Face introduced himself. He used the word that came up in his mind for his rank.  
However, his name was said in English, since there was not Colonial equivalent to it. "I'm called Face though"  
Apollo and Boomer looked at one another when they heard the unusual nickname. Adama, on the other hand, paid close attention to the fact that Face used a military rank.  
"Lieutenent, do you know how you came to be where you are?" Adama asked.  
"I don't even know where I am. From what I can tell, I'm in some kind of a vessel." Face answered.  
"You are currently on my ship, the Galactica. You were found in the cockpit of one of our Vipers"  
Face had a puzzled expression cross his face briefly before it vanished. If the three older men had not been as familar with Starbuck as they had been, they would have completely missed the change of expression. "Never heard of a Viper. The last thing I remember I was running through an alley, trying to avoid being captured.  
Obviously, that didn't work since here I am." Face finally stated. "Did Decker put you up to this"  
Apollo stepped forward. "Who"  
"Colonel Roderick Decker." Face watched their expressions. He noticed only confusion on them. "Well, I can see not.  
So, what country do you call home"  
"Lieutenent, where are you from?" Adama asked, ignoring Face's last question.  
"Los Angeles, California." was the answer given.  
"Where is the California located?" Boomer struggled over saying California.  
"Where are you from, outer space?" Face joked, not realising. "California is part of the United States of America"  
Ias held a hand over his mouth, trying to keep from chuckling out loud. Boomer sighed in frustration, while Apollo rubbed his head. The darker pilot leaned closed to the Major.  
"He's as good at Starbucking people as Starbuck was." was what Boomer whispered in Apollo's ear. Apollo nodded in agreement.  
"Let's just say that we are indeed from outer space, Lieutenent." Adama continued. "What planet are you from"  
"That's an odd question. I'm from Earth of course, just like you are." Face decided to play along. He watched the expressions, as the four men's faces revealed shock, victory, amazement and astonishment. "You are from Earth, are you not"  
Adama shook his head. "No we are not. Boomer, Apollo and myself all come from a planet called Caprica. Ias is from Piscon"  
Face started looking around. "Okay Murdock, Hannibal. Enough with the joke. You finally pulled one over my eyes"  
The English words made no sense at all to the four Colonials. Ias left the room for a moment, returning with the clothes that Face had arrived in. The Earth born human realised that no one was understanding what he was saying.  
"This is a joke right?" Face asked.  
Apollo shook his head no.  
"It's not a joke." Boomer answered. "We can prove it to you"  
"Lieutenent Face, you are a guest while you are on the Galactica. Apollo and Boomer have been assigned to guide you through our society. They will also protect you from our people if needed." Adama stated, trying to explain things.  
"Why would I need someone to protect me?" Face asked. He decided to play along. "It's not like I haven't seen combat.  
I've seen plenty of it"  
"Here are your clothes, Lieutenent." Ias handed them to Face. "Once you are dressed, you are free to leave the Life Center. I do ask that you return here once a week while you are with us, so that we can innoculate you further. Also, please keep a record of everything you eat or drink"  
"We'll wait for you outside, so you can dress in private." Adama stated, before departing the room. Apollo and Boomer followed on his heels. Ias gave Face a hard look before departing himself.  
As soon as the room was cleared, Face stood up and quickly dressed himself.

Out in the main part of the Life Center, the three Warriors were having a small discussion.  
"We'll take him to the Celestial Dome. That will prove to him what we're saying is true." Apollo pointed out.  
"Good idea. Also, I want you to discover what his combat skills are. We need to discover if his people will be able to assist us against the Cylons. I know we haven't seen them in a while, but they're still out there." Adama ordered. "I have another idea. Tonight is our usual family dinner. Apollo, bring Face with you. We can fill him in on more of our culture over a meal. Boomer, you and Dietra are invited to come as well"  
"Thank you Sir. I'll inform her and we'll be there." Boomer replied.  
Face exited the room at that moment. His manner of dress was completely alien to the Colonials. The staff of the Life Center, along with those who were there for medical treatment noticed the foreign blonde man.  
"Apollo, see about getting Face some civillian clothing to help him blend in better." Adama decided on the spot. "He stands out too much in his current clothing. And we don't want it becoming public knowledge just yet that he is from Earth." The Major nodded in agreement, as Adama turned to Face. "Lieutenent, you are invited to dine with my family and I this evening. You can ask me all sorts of questions about what you'll encounter between now and this evening"  
"Thank you Commander. I accept." Face agreed. Not that he figured he had much of a choice. Murdock and Hannibal had really gone all out on the elaborite ruse that they were pulling on him. He turned towards the two younger Colonials. "So,  
shall we go to what ever it is that you have planned for me"  
Boomer and Apollo looked at each other, and smiled.  
"Follow us." Boomer stated. The two pilots flanked Face, and they departed the Life Center together.

Back on Earth...

Maggie, Starbuck, and the three remaining members of the A-Team had finished eating dinner and were now relaxing around the table. The three men were amazed at how much food that the blonde had eaten, and at the speed at which he all but inhaled it.  
"Geeze Facey, one would think that you hadn't eaten in days." Murdock teased.  
"Or else he has been eating stuff almost as bad as the little bit of food that we were given back in the camps, excluding Lin's bread." BA added.  
"Well, I don't blame Face one bit for eating as much as he did. How often do you all get to sit down and enjoy a home cooked meal?" Maggie defended Starbuck.  
"We don't get to that much. So you do have a point Maggie." Hannibal agreed. "Everything was excellent"  
Starbuck sighed, a slight smile on his face as he listened to the banter. He wished that Apollo and Boomer were with him and able to enjoy the wonderful food. While quality of the food in the Fleet had eventually improved over time in both quality and in amount, he could recall all too well the strict rationing and the barely edible meals.  
"Yes it was good." Starbuck agreed. He sat in his spot, drowsing.  
Hannibal stood up at that point. "Come on Murdock. You and I have dish detail"  
"But why Colonel?" Murdock rose from his seat, protesting. "The Mudsucker helped make the mess"  
"I also scrubbed Maggie's grill before hand, and cleaned it off when the food was done grilling." BA growled.  
"And since Maggie was gracious enough to take care of Face and invite us to stay for dinner it falls to us, Captain"  
The Colonel pointed out. "And don't even bring Face's name into it. He needs to stay off that leg"  
Starbuck opened an eye, listening with amusement. He liked these men a lot. He even liked Maggie. The Colonial wondered if it ever got to the point where the members of the A-Team could no longer live within their society, even as fugitives, if they would be willing to join the Colonials and the Fleet.  
"Come on Face, let's get you back to the front room where you can relax in the recliner." Maggie suggested, breaking Starbuck out of his reverie. She handed him his crutches. "You'll be more comfortable that way"  
"Good idea." Starbuck accepted the crutches, and used them to help stand up.  
"Don't go back to sleep Lieutenent." Hannibal ordered. "We're going to have to head out once we have things situated.  
It's too dangerous to remain here any longer"  
Starbuck started to nod, but thought better of it. "Alright Colonel." The blonde carefully followed Maggie out of the dining area.  
Once Starbuck was ensconced back in the recliner, Maggie went over the medications she prescribed with him. BA soon joined them, toting the supplies that Murdock had picked up earlier. He sat on the floor near Starbuck and began to empty the bags. Once they were finished with the dishes, Hannibal and Murdock joined the others. The Colonel pulled up a chair,  
while the Earth born pilot took a seat on the floor as well. Maggie withdrew, moving back away from the four men as they worked.  
The three members of the A-Team bantered with one another as they worked. Starbuck watched it all, fascinated. He added his own comments occasionally to the mix. The mess that had formed around them eventually evolved into neatly packed gear that was ready to be loaded up. Murdock and BA then climbed to their feet, and began to haul the stuff out and load it into the van. Hannibal handed Starbuck his crutches, and extended a hand out to the other man. Starbuck accepted and allowed the Colonel to help him to his feet.  
"It's time for us to head out Maggie. We'll see you in a couple of weeks." Hannibal informed her, going over to her.  
"It was good to see you all again. Face, remember what I told you." Maggie reminded the younger man.  
"I will. Thanks Maggie." Starbuck replied, as he headed for the door. Murdock was just getting ready to open the door when the Colonial pilot was. "Come on Face. I'll help you down the ramp if you need it." Murdock offered, knowing that Hannibal and Maggie would want a moment alone.  
Once the two younger men had departed from the house, Hannibal went over to where Maggie stood. He placed his arms around her, and pulled her against him in an embrace.  
"Thank you Maggie." The Colonel told her, before kissing her.  
"You're welcome." was her reply, once he let Maggie come up for air. "Don't wait until one of you are injured before coming for a visit"  
"We'll try to do better. We don't want Decker and the Army to know about you. It's better to stay away"  
"I know. And I understand. It doesn't stop me from missing you though." "I have to go. See you in a couple of weeks." Hannibal opened the door and walked out through it. Maggie followed him out.  
"I know that too. Take care of yourself." Maggie instructed him. She then raised her voice for the others to hear.  
"That goes to all of you. Bye"  
"Bye Maggie!" The guys in the van called out together. Starbuck waved from his seat next to the van's sliding door.  
Hannibal pulled it closed before climbing into his usual spot riding shotgun. With one last wave from him, the van then vanished into the night.  
Doctor Sullivan stood on her porch, watching them until the van was completely out of sight.

TBC...


	4. Chapter 3

Mirror Image

By Traser SyberJedi with lots of imput from Unit One

First things first- This chapter has taken me an extremely long time to write for various reasons. My appologies to those readers who have been following the story. Not too long after I started work on this chapter, my life went to hell in a handbasket. I was laid off from my job; my mother moved over 1000 miles away from where we were living at the time; my life was threatened and I had to go into hiding during that time; my computer at that time died; I lost my phone and internet connection; I moved to another state; I got a new computer, and kept on having issues with my power supplies dying; and no internet connection at home either so I could research things I needed to discover as needed. I did not give up and the long awaited chapter is here.

Author's note: The events revolving around Starbuck are not taking place at the exact same point in time as those that Face is involved in. They are taking place on about the same day though. Crystal Lake Campground is a fictional location as far as I know, inspite of it being featured in an episode of the A-Team and the location where everything occurs in most if not all of the Friday the 13th movies, at least, that's what I'm guessing anyways. They are not the same place however. The stuff pertaining to the Friday the 13th movies belongs to it's respective owners. Also, please read the ficlet Gamma Transmissions which covers an event which is refered to here.

Oh yeah, a small appology up front if the scene where there are shots being fired happens to be inaccurate. I know nothing at all about shooting firearms except from what I see in movies and on tv, and from roleplaying experiences. If my descriptions are inaccurate for the shooting of firearms, chalk it up to poetic licence.

Disclaimer: I reiterate, I do not own anything pertaining to Battlestar Galactica or the A-Team, excluding collectables and DVDs. Well, I do own Face, but my Face is a cat.

Chapter Three

Hannibal peered into the back of the van, looking at the two men sleeping in their respective spots. Murdock was in his typical seat, scrunched down and using his jacket as a blanket. His face was hidden from view by his navy ball cap that he wore more often than not. Starbuck was in the back of the van, curled up on the padded area that served as both bench and bed. An unusual looking brown jacket that the Lieutenant had pulled out of his duffle bag was draped over him, and his arm was being used as a pillow. Every so often, he would move trying to get more comfortable, and end up softly yelping in pain.

"Hannibal, is Faceman gonna be okay?" BA asked, concerned.

"Yes. I think we might want to find a place to stop for a bit. We could use a small break from travelling. Face can walk around a little, and we can all get something to eat." Hannibal decided.

"Sounds like a plan to me." BA agreed. "I'll start looking for a place where we can pull off and do that, along with gassing up."

Thirty minutes later, BA spotted a place where they could get gas and something to eat. He carefully pulled up to a pump, and turned off the van. The cessation of movement woke Murdock and Starbuck up.

"We there?" Murdock asked, sounding alert.

"No. We're getting gas, and taking a small break." Hannibal answered. "Help Face out of the van, he should move around some before he gets all stiff."

"Too late, I'm already stiff." Starbuck answered, wincing. He had carefully worked his way forward from the back. "Where are we?"

"Gas station. We're taking a small break." Murdock added. "Come on, let's get you mobile and about. We can see about getting something to eat inside."

"Facilities would also be nice." Starbuck decided. The lanky Captain nodded in agreement as he pulled Starbuck's crutches from where they had been stashed.

Murdock clambered over the seat that was Face's usual spot and climbed out of the van. Starbuck worked his way forward, and then carefully followed the Earth born pilot. He reached for the crutches that the taller man was holding out to him. The two men then headed on inside the convenience store while BA and Hannibal oversaw fueling and keeping watch.

"So Facey, have you anything in mind on what to eat?" Murdock asked, as the two men exited from the restroom.

"Not really. I want to see what catches my interest." Starbuck answered. "Let's find food first."

"Okay. This way then." Murdock headed down the row that contained candy, snack cakes, and chips. The brown eyed pilot snagged up a bag of Fritos, then grabbed a couple of Milky Way bars. He then turned around and watched to see what his companion would choose, if anything.

Starbuck, examining the various chips, also chose Fritos. He was curious to see how different that chips made from corn could be from actual corn. The various candies drew his attention though. Candy was an expensive luxury item back in the Fleet, and extremely rare. His favorite kind was not available anymore, since they had no way to process it any longer. Starbuck hoped that he might find something similar on Earth. He chose a Kit Kat, Reese's peanut butter cups, and a Milky Way.

"Want something hot?" Murdock asked.

"Sure." Starbuck shrugged in acceptance. He followed Murdock over to a counter where orders were being taken.

"I'll have three dogs with chili and the works." was the order that the lanky pilot placed.

"I'll take one dog with just chili." Starbuck placed his own order, having no clue as to what a dog or chili was.

"Let's go get something to drink. Any ideas on what you might want?" inquired the Earth born pilot. He inquired if they could leave their other items on the counter while they went to choose something to drink, and were told that it would be fine.

"None. Let's go and see what's available." The blonde replied, with a grin. The two men made their way over to the back wall that was completely covered with refrigerated units. Starbuck could not believe the variety of beverages available. And something that had him puzzled was the fact that several of them looked very much like one another.

"Murdock, what's the difference between these?" Starbuck asked, pointing to the rows of Coke, Pepsi, and Doctor Pepper.

"Well Face, it's like this: Pepsi is a bit sweeter in taste than Coke is. Doctor Pepper tastes completely different from both of them. It has a bite to it. Coke is a bit more acidy than Pepsi." The taller man answered, before opening the cooler and pulling out a half liter bottle of Doctor Pepper. Starbuck decided to try a Pepsi, and snagged a bottle. Murdock took the bottle, and headed back to the counter.

"Three chili dogs with the works, and one just chili." Announced the guy behind the counter, setting down two bags. "These together?"

"Yes, along with these." Murdock placed the two drinks on the counter, and pushed the other items over to join the rest. "My treat this time Face, since you covered me the last time."

"I'll have to take your word for it, Murdock." Starbuck replied. "Here comes Hannibal."

The white haired Colonel entered at that moment, and went over to them. "You two almost finished?"

"Yeah. Just now. We're getting ready to head on back to the van." Murdock answered.

"Okay, great. Take over for BA, so he can come in and get what he wants." Hannibal instructed. He then headed on into the rest of the store.

Murdock grabbed up his and Starbuck's purchases and they both headed on out.

Murdock and BA made sure that Starbuck was settled in the van, and eating before BA headed on in to make use of the restroom, and get his own stuff to eat. Starbuck unwrapped his chili dog and took a tentative first bite. The spicy tang of the chili exploded on his tongue quickly followed by the mellower, but no less distinctive flavor of the hot dog. The extraterrestrial pilot moaned in sheer bliss at the exotic tastes he was savoring. He then munched on a couple of the corn chips, which Starbuck discovered went extremely well with the flavor of the chili dog. However, he found the salty taste made him thirsty, so Starbuck swallowed down some of his Pepsi. The sweet taste fizzed and snapped on his tongue and against the roof of his mouth, catching Starbuck offguard. He managed to keep himself from spitting it out, instead swallowing it down rapidly. The soda tingled and bubbled as he drank it down, discovering that while sweet, it also burned somewhat.

The Earth born pilot watched as the blonde devoured the chili dog. He found himself chuckling at the expression that crossed Starbuck's face, accompanied with a moan.

"If I didn't know better, I would say from the almost orgasmic expression on your face that you just got laid." Murdock chuckled. "And if you think that chili dog is good like it is now, you should try one that's been grilled."

Starbuck all but sputtered at the comment from the other pilot. He then wiped his fingers off, and decided to try the Kit Kat bar. He opened the candy and bit into the chocolate covered wafers. The sweet, creamy taste of chocolate melted over his tongue while he chewed. The crunch of the wafers reminded Starbuck of a treat he used to enjoy when he was at the Academy when Caprica was still a viable world.

"Mount up Murdock, BA is paying for his order and we're heading out." Hannibal called out as he exited the store.

"Alright Colonel." Murdock agreed, and he climbed into the van. He carefully moved over Starbuck's legs, not wanting to accidentally bump the injured left one. "I wish you could have seen Face eating a chili dog, Hannibal. It was awesome."

In the meantime, Starbuck was ignoring the others and eating the rest of the stuff he had gotten. He opened the Reese's peanut butter cups and discovered two pieces of chocolate. He removed one from it's paper cup and bit into it, enjoying the taste of the chocolate. Then Starbuck's eyes almost bugged as he encountered the gritty feeling filling that the chocolate surrounded. The flavor was rich and nutty, and very distinctive. There was a slight saltiness that was complimented by the sweetness of the chocolate. The taste was alien and exotic, but really good. The extraterrestrial pilot made a mental note to suggest to Commander Adama that they should import large quantities of the candy once they reached Earth.

The roar of an engine starting drew Starbuck's attention for a moment. He felt the van start moving. Starbuck tore open the wrapper on the last of the candy he had, the Milky Way bar. The unexpected taste of kirasolis that his tongue encountered surprised the blond Lieutenant. He felt homesick for the Galactica for a moment. The pilot took another bite, concentrating on the flavor of the familar component of the candy. The flavor was slightly different from what he could recall, just enough to make it exotic. Starbuck decided not to worry about it, and enjoyed the rest of the candy. Still, it had caught him completely off guard, the fact that he was feeling homesick for the Galactica and the Fleet.

Both Hannibal and Murdock caught the expression as it crossed Starbuck's face before it vanished into the usual schooled look.

"Everything alright Lieutenant?" Hannibal asked, a note of concern in his voice.

"Yeah." Starbuck replied, looking up. "Just a fragment of memory trying to surface, is all."

"What did you remember?" Murdock wanted to know.

"Nothing. Just the taste of the caramel from the last bar kind of reminded me of something is all. Like I should have known it." Starbuck lied somewhat.

"Ah." Murdock replied. He watched Starbuck as the other man adjusted his position and made himself as comfortable as possible. The extraterrestrial pilot let out a silent sigh and closed his eyes. He was long accustomed to sleeping in a sitting up position from the many long patrols that he had pulled. At least the seats in the van were far more comfortable than those within the cockpit of a Viper. Sleep quickly overtook the blond.

Hannibal looked into the back of the van a bit later, once he was done enjoying the meal he had picked up when they had stopped. It was going to be interesting trying to trigger Face's memory, along with seeing what the man would do. The Colonel also realized that Murdock would have to be kept tabs on, a job that usually Face handled, or else the pilot would be entangling the Lieutenant into things that he would normally avoid.

"Hannibal, we're almost there." BA slowed long enough so that the older man could see the sign directing people to the turn off for Crystal Lake.

"Great. I'm more than ready to stretch out in a bed. Maggie's idea of a vacation was a good one." Hannibal replied. "I wonder if the Shermans are still the park rangers?"

"No idea Hannibal. It will be bad for us if they're not. We'll have ta find a new place to lay low while Face heals."

"Only one way to find out and that's to get there and check."

BA turned at the turnoff, and headed up the road to the camp. Within a matter of minutes, the van was pulling up in front of the office. Hannibal climbed out, heading into the office. He was quickly followed by BA. Murdock looked at the sleeping Starbuck and sighed.

"I'll stay here with Face while you two see about getting us a cabin." The pilot volunteered. Hannibal nodded his agreement to that suggestion, then followed BA inside.

Jenny Sherman was sitting at a desk, sipping on a soda as she listened to weather reports on the radio. She looked up when movement caught her eye, then smiled when she recognized Hannibal and BA.

"Why hello there. I'm kind of surprised to see you here." She greeted the two men, as she stood up. "What brings you to Crystal Lake? And where are Face and Murdock?"

"They're out in the van. Face was injured earlier, and we're needing a place to lay low for awhile while he recovers." Hannibal answered, explaining Face's amnesia.

Jenny sighed. "There's a problem. The camp is full up. All of the cabins are occupied. I don't even have sites available for tents or RVs to use. They're also full."

"Looks like we're gonna have to find someplace else then Colonel." BA stated, in an unhappy growl.

"However, I might have an alternative for you all." Jenny stated, before Hannibal could say anything. "I recently bought a house in Centerpoint. It's 3 bedrooms, plus a spacious attic that would be perfect as a master suite. It needs a lot of work though. If you all would be willing to help me work on getting it fixed up, I'm willing to let you all stay there."

Hannibal mulled the idea over in his head, a smile slowly crossing his face as a familiar twinkle began to glimmer in his eyes.

"That sounds like a perfect solution. You got yourself a deal, Ranger Sherman." Hannibal held out his hand for Jenny to shake. She did so, smiling.

"Here, let me give you directions on how to get there. Two of the bedrooms has two beds in them. The one with the single full sized bed is my room. Not that I get to sleep there much. I'm looking forward to some time off once the campground empties down."

"Why is it so full currently?" Hannibal asked, curious.

"You're not going to believe this. There's a new _Friday The 13th _movie coming out. The setting of those movies is a fictional Crystal Lake Campground. When fans of the movie found out that Crystal Lake Campground was an actual campground, they started inundating us whenever they learn that a new movie is coming out." Jenny explained, grimacing. "They're not too bad, as long as they don't dress up as Jason and scare other campers."

"And this be the weekend that those fools are here? Sheesh!" BA shook his head. "And I thought Murdock was crazy."

"You see my point." Jenny agreed. "Anyways, letting you all stay in my place also helps me out, since it means that there's someone occupying my place. Some times there are the occasional campers that get a bit overzealous with things and won't remain in the park. There's been some damage done in the past to some of the houses that were unoccupied in around Centerpoint."

"Which is another reason why you're willing to put us up." Hannibal grinned. "It works out for both of us. When you have a chance, tell us what you want done, and how, and we'll make sure it gets done. How are you for groceries at the moment?"

"I don't have much. If there is any milk, I'm fairly sure that it will be sour. There should be some eggs though, and bread. There is also some cheese, lunchmeat, hamburger, hot dogs, and canned goods." Jenny answered, as she started writing down the directions to her house.

"Any small convenience stores near by? We'll pick up a couple gallons of milk to hold us over until we can put together a list and do some grocery shopping. We'll buy while we're staying with you, so you won't have to worry about that. " The Colonel stated, which caused Jenny to smile.

"You'll go right past a 7-11." Jenny handed the directions and a housekey to BA. "It's one of the landmarks listed in fact. You have to make a right turn there, and it's right on the corner, on the right hand side."

"Excellent. We'll see you when you get home then." Hannibal declared, as he headed for the door.

"I should be home around 8 am." Jenny stated. "See you all then. Good night."

"Night Jenny." BA responded, as he followed Hannibal out the door.

The two men climbed back into the van. The Colonel turned around to check on his men. Murdock grinned.

"Face hasn't woken up. Which cabin are we getting?" The pilot asked.

"We're not. The campground is full up. We're going to be staying at Jenny Sherman's house." Hannibal answered. "It seems that whenever a Friday the Thirteenth movie is coming out, the campground gets slammed full of fans."

"And the fools chose this weekend for their stay." BA growled. "There's the 7-11. Better get three gallons of milk, Hannibal."

Hannibal nodded in agreement, as the van pulled into the parking lot in front of the store. He climbed out, and vanished inside the building.

"Aw man, I wished I had remembered to ask the Colonel to bring me back a Doctor Pepper." Murdock lamented.

"Shut up fool!" BA growled.

"You know you luv me." Murdock retaliated, grinning.

"If you wake Faceman up, I'm gonna knock ya teeth down ya throat." BA declared. "Here's Hannibal back."

"Everything okay?" The older man asked, as he handed two gallons of milk in through the window. He climbed back into his seat, and tucked the last gallon in at his feet.

"Yes Sir, Colonel Sir." Murdock answered. BA sneered, and backed out of the spot, and turned onto the sidestreet. It didn't take them long to reach Jenny's house. BA gently carried Starbuck inside, taking care not to wake the younger man. He put the extraterrestrial pilot into the room that contained twin beds that was closest to the bathroom. Hannibal entered the room a moment later, having located the kitchen and putting the milk away. He pulled covers over the Lieutenant, after pulling off his shoes. Then the Colonel and the Sargent departed, leaving Starbuck to sleep. He then joined the remainder of his team in the kitchen.

"This is a nice place, even if it is needing work." Hannibal stated, smiling. "Going to ground and taking a vacation was an excellent idea that Maggie gave us."

"Face is settled, and still sleeping." BA added. "In the morning, after Jenny get's home, I'll put together a grocery list with her. Once that is done, I'll see what all needs to be done on her house."

The Colonel nodded, before turning to look at Murdock.

"I'll recon the area in the morning, see what all we have around us." Murdock decided. "And if you don't mind Colonel, I'll bunk in with Facey."

"Alright. Go ahead and turn in, both of you. I'll be turning in shortly." Hannibal decided, ordering the other two off to bed. The Colonel then made his way out onto the back porch to enjoy a cigar before he called it a night.

On the _Galactica_...........

Having gotten Face outfitted with some civilian garb along the type that Starbuck would have chosen, Apollo and Boomer were leading their Earth born guest through areas of the Galactica that most pilots avoided. Face studied his surroundings intently, trying to figure out just what sort of vessel that he was inside of. At first he thought it was a submarine due to the hatches that they kept going through on occasion. However the corridors that they were traversing through were too big for most subs. Not that Face had spent any time on one to actually know. Still, something told him that they weren't on a sub, besides all the alien looking uniforms that he kept seeing. Those were what were starting to convince the blond that it was more than an elaborate joke being played.

"So, where are we going?" Face asked his companions.

"It's something that is better to see, than to hear being described." Apollo answered. "Besides, even if Boomer and I were to tell you where we're going, you wouldn't know what we're referring to anyways."

"Do you like to look at stars?" Boomer asked.

"Occasionally, if I'm trying to impress a lady who happens to enjoy stargazing." Face replied.

Boomer and Apollo looked at each other and groaned.

"It figures." Boomer muttered. The Major just shook his head. They kept on walking, leading their charge. It was going to be an interesting time with Face around, discovering how much alike and dislike their missing friend that he so resembled.

"So, where are you both taking me?" asked Face a second time.

"My favorite place on the entire ship. One I've only shared with those who are closest to me." Apollo answered, grinning.

"A place where you can see stars. Lots of them." Boomer added, waving his hands in a circle around his head. "And we're almost there."

The black pilot nodded towards the hatch door that they were getting ready to go through.

"Face, Apollo has only brought the living members of his family, his best friends, and our girlfriends to this place." Boomer started to explain.

Apollo interrupted. "Troy has brought Dillon here as well. But, other than that, only 10 of us have come here. One of those is missing."

Boomer shot Apollo a dirty look for cutting him off. He then continued. "Anyways, where we're about to go is someplace that Apollo here considers special. We request that you don't talk about it to anyone."

"Sure." Face agreed with a shrug. Apollo then handed him a set of ear protectors before tossing a set to Boomer and taking a pair for himself.

"Okay, we're going to be going through this hatch right here. You will need to have those on before I open it. Follow me closely." The Major instructed. "Boomer will be right behind you. We're going to go up a ladder, through another hatch. Once we're inside and have it closed, you'll be able to remove your ear protectors."

"Why do I need these?" Face wondered. He looked at the pair he was given and thought that they were identical to those used on shooting ranges.

"We're having to go through an engine room. It's really loud in there." Boomer replied. "Where we're going is right over one of the thrusters." He then pulled on his protectors. Face saw that Apollo had his on, and was waiting on Face before opening the hatch. The Earth born Lieutenant shrugged, then pulled his on and followed the Major through the hatch after it was opened.

Once inside, Templeton was extremely glad for the ear protection. The noise was muffled, but still audible inspite of the mufflers. It was so loud that he could feel the deck plates throbbing under his feet. At a tap on his shoulder, Face looked in the direction that Apollo was pointing. He nodded, indicating to the older man that he saw it, and started following him. The blond quickly crossed the interval, and started up the ladder behind the Major. The throbbing of the thrusters could be felt as Face grasped the ladder and started making his way up, a pulsing vibration that resonated through his entire body.

Face came to a stop, having to wait for Apollo to open the hatch over their heads. Two gentle taps against the sides of his feet alerted the blond that Boomer's hands were grasping the rung on which he stood. He looked down for a moment, then looked upwards and started climbing. When the Major extended a hand down, the Lieutenant gratefully accepted the assistance, allowing himself to be pulled up. The Strike Captain quickly joined them, then sealed the hatch shut. All three men pulled off their ear coverings, hanging them around their necks.

"Feel free to look around. Please don't touch that console there. Those are the controls." Apollo said with a smile. "Welcome to the celestial dome."

Face looked around, unimpressed for the moment. "Okay, it's a dome. So what does it do? Is it some kind of planetarium?" The word planetarium was said in English, since Face could not figure out what the Colonial corresponding word was.

"Neither of us know what a plan-et-tari-um is." Boomer responded, carefully pronouncing the foreign word.

"The original purpose of the celestial dome was for astronavigation. Navigators used to come here to help plot out courses. Originally, there used to be about a dozen or so celestial domes all over the Galactica, back when she was built 500 yahren ago. However, they're all gone now, except this one." Apollo explained.

"Why?" wondered Face. His expression showed disbelief in what he was being told.

"I'm not sure why this one wasn't ever dismantled. Not that it matters now." Apollo stated in reply, as he went and sat down at the control console. "We don't have the means of dismantling it now."

"The only reason it hasn't been utilized is because the dome is on the Galactica. If it was on any of the other ships of the fleet, it would be utilized as a dwelling, or as an agricultural park." Boomer added. He then turned and looked over at his best friend. "Apollo, when we leave here, let's show Face that transmission that was accidentally recorded the night we took out that basestar."

Apollo nodded as he worked the controls. "Good idea. Okay Face, take a look around you."

The two Colonials made themselves comfortable as their surroundings would permit and watched the Earth born Lieutenant. A noise that sounded like the door of an airplane opening drew Face's attention upwards. The sections of the protective plating that covered the dome opened up much like the petals of a flower blooming. As each section spread open, the vast starscape became visible. The two Colonials watched their visitor closely to see his reactions.

"Sweet mother Mary!" Face exclaimed, as he touched his forehead, then dropped his hand down to his chest. He then rapidly brought his hand across his chest, going from right to left, as he walked around the circumference. Both Apollo and Boomer thought the gesture rather strange, and it brought home to them that the man with them was not their missing friend. Face ignored them and kept on talking. "Murdock would be in his glory if he could see this. BA would be catatonic, he hates to fly."

The blond turned and looked at his companions. "Okay, I believe you now. There is no way that this is some expansive practical joke. God, Hannibal would be amazed by this if he could see it. Your friend that you said is missing, is this some place that he's been to?"

"Yes. Starbuck liked to come here." Apollo replied.

"His name was Starbuck?" Face asked, intrigued.

"Yes. And he's still alive. Just not with us at the moment." Apollo declared.

"Starbuck has been missing for five yahrens now. Apollo was the last person to see him." Boomer added, filling Face in some.

"I know what it's like to be missing. My team and I were prisoners of war for a while. We managed to escape though. Is that how your friend went missing, during a battle?"

"No. We were on patrol. He went to check something out...." Apollo's words trailed off at that point.

"That's when Starbuck went missing." Boomer continued, taking over. "We looked for him, but we never did find a trace of him or his ship. The Commander had to eventually declare Starbuck missing in action, and presumably dead."

"Why do you think that Starbuck is still alive after all this time?" Face wondered.

"The manner in which he went missing is familiar to me. Also, the ship you were found in, was the same ship that Starbuck was piloting when he vanished." Apollo answered.

Face nodded in understanding, before turning his attention back towards the incredible view. A pair of Vipers returning from patrol overflew the dome, and one of them waggled. Face had a puzzled expression cross his face when he heard his two companions chuckle.

"Somebody you know?" He asked.

"Yes." Apollo replied.

"Sheba." Boomer added. "You can be sure that she'll be making her way here as soon as she clears decon."

"Nope. She has to fill out her report first. Besides, with you and I removed from the flight roster for the time being, it falls to Sheba and Bojay to command the squadrons." Apollo reminded his wingman.

"That's right. Sheba is going to love hearing that." Boomer chuckled. "Anyways, if we're going to spend some time on the laser range, we need to get going. With patrols starting to come in, there will be others wanting to take some target practice once they're finished with paperwork."

"Face, I need to warn you that most everyone who sees you is going to believe that you're Starbuck. There are some people aboard the Galactica that must not discover that you are not him, or that you come from Earth." Apollo warned Face, as he started closing the dome back up. "The Galactica is a military vessel, so the onboard civilian population is fairly small. However, because it's the primary defense of the Fleet, and the command ship of that Fleet, from time to time there are rather important civilians here."

"The Quorum of Twelve." Boomer started in when Apollo paused to take a breath. "They're the civilian leaders that are elected by the majority of the Fleet's population. Commander Adama is the President of the Quorum and the elected leader of the Caprican Tribe."

"Busy man." Face commented.

"Yes, he is." Apollo agreed. "And since he's also our military leader, he has the political pull needed to keep the others away from you. However, because of where you come from, you're also to remain here on the Galactica. If the members of the Fleet past those of us in the military were to learn that you are from Earth, there's no telling what could happen to you. There would be those who would try to kill you."

"That's nothing new to me." Face sighed. "So, let's go to this laser range you've mentioned."

Apollo and Boomer nodded in agreement. All three men pulled on their ear protectors and departed from the dome.

Once they were back in the corridor that they had taken to reach the dome, Face started asking questions of his hosts as they walked.

"So, which of you are the better shot?" Was the first question.

"We're both fair shots." Apollo admitted.

"Starbuck was better." Boomer added.

Face was intrigued. It gave him an idea.

"Would you two care for a little wager?" He asked them. Boomer and Apollo looked at each other with identical expressions. Something else Face had in common with their missing friend.

"What would you have that would be of any value to us to use?" Boomer asked, curious.

Face pulled out the gold crucifix that he wore tucked under his shirt. BA had given it to him as a gift, so it was rather precious to him. Still, there wasn't much that he had that could be used in the place where he found himself.

Boomer peered at the pendant, and examined the metal closely. It resembled oregg, at first glance. "May I see that?" He asked.

"Sure." The blond handed over the necklace.

"What is it?" Apollo wondered.

"It's a gold crucifix. It's a religious symbol to me." was Face's answer. Apollo was intrigued. "Will that be sufficient to cover my side of the proposed wager?"

"I think it will do." Boomer replied, before asking "Now just what are we wagering on?"

"Are there any kind of records on file with Starbuck's scores on the range?" Peck wondered.

"Yeah. In fact, no one has beaten his last set of high scores since he vanished." Apollo admitted.

"You want to wager that you can beat Starbuck's record?" Boomer asked, astonished.

"What better way of at least showing what I can do with a firearm?" Face retorted, grinning.

"Good point." Apollo stated.

It didn't take long for the trio to arrive at the range. Boomer went over to the computer while Apollo took Face over to the lasers.

"Boomer is going to get the targets set up, and pull up Starbuck's range records. You need to pick out a laser that fits in your hand comfortably." The Captain informed the younger man. "Here are several for you to try."

"Alright, thanks." Face replied, before picking up and testing the first of the lasers. The overall weapon was a bit bulkier than his pistol, at least through the barrel. Overall though, it wasn't too bad. He tried several, before deciding on one. "This one will do."

Apollo nodded at Face's choice, then turned towards Boomer as he joined them.

"So Captain, what shall we put up on our side of this little wager that Face proposed?"

"How about the equivalent of what his pendant is worth in cubits? That would give him some currency to work with, since he seems to be a gambling man." Boomer answered. "It would be interesting to see what kinds of card games that Face could teach us, and to see him playing some of the others in a game of Pyramid."

Apollo looked back over at Face. "That sound good to you?"

"Sure. Why not. I enjoy a good game of chance whenever I get the opportunity to indulge in one." Face agreed.

That decided on, the three men went over to the area where the targets waited for them. Both Colonials insisted that Face take a couple of shots in order to get a feel for the alien weapon. Boomer brought up the target images, which were likenesses of Cylons. Face recoiled back when he saw the robotic looking visage.

"What the hell is that?" The blond asked.

"That is what a Cylon looks like." Apollo answered, sadly. "They nearly destroyed us."

Face looked at the older man, shock evident on his face."Your fleet?"

"No, our worlds. Twelve of them. Nearly all of Humanity."

Face reeled, not quite believing what he was being told.

"It's a long story." Boomer added. "One you will hear while you're with us."

Face nodded. "Let me get two practice shots, so I can get a feel for this gun." And with saying that, he stepped up to the divider and fired a couple of times.

He watched the bolts of coherent light go zipping through the air and into the target. Face was briefly reminded of the fictional blasters from _Star Wars_, a movie series that he had taken Murdock to see when each installment came out. The blond briefly wished that his best friend could have been here to see all of this, Murdock would have loved it.

"Let's get started." Apollo declared. "Ten shots each. I'll go first, then Boomer, with Face last. That will allow Face the opportunity to see where the best spots to target a Cylon are. The computer will keep score. Any problems with that either of you?"

"Nope. I can agree to that since Face is new." Boomer agreed, smiling.

"Sounds good to me." Face nodded his agreement. "I'm not going to complain."

"Computer, keep track of the hits that each of us make. Use Lieutenant Starbuck's standing score records for the target hit goals." Apollo stated out loud, adding in the scoring parameters. "Three participants, ten shots each. Range targets in five increments, two shots per increment. The first target is set at a distance of ten metrons. Second target distance is 25 metrons. Third target is 75 metrons. Fourth target is 150 metrons, and the last is 300 metrons. People participating Major Apollo, Strike Captain Boomer, and a new file- Lieutenant Face. In that order. Flash when ready."

Within a matter of moments, a flashing light started up, indicating that everything was ready for the competition. Apollo pulled his laser out with his left hand, and approached the mark. Face noticed that neither of his two companions bothered with either protective eyewear, or with ear muffs. He wondered about that, deciding that since they fired energy instead of projectiles, such gear might not be needed. It was certainly going to be interesting.

With a nod from Boomer, Apollo opened fire. Ten shots fired off with quick succession. The Earth born Lieutenant studied the extraterrestrial Major, noting his stance of one foot somewhat in front of the other and knees slightly bent, and the fact that Apollo only held his weapon in one hand.

"That beat your last score." Boomer complimented. "You only missed one."

Face was puzzled by the comment. Every shot that Apollo had fired had struck the targets. Or so it seemed. Each target had taken a hit in two spots, one centered right on the chestplate and the other on the faceplate. That one would have been right between the eyes, if the Cylon had two actual eyes instead of a red light that moved back and forth that reminded the blond of the car from that one TV show that Murdock enjoyed. Then the Lieutenant realized that the last target had not sustained any damage at all.

"Let's see if you can do any better, BoomBoom." Apollo taunted the darker skinned man.

"You're on." Boomer replied. He did the same as Apollo, pulling his weapon before he stepped up to the firing mark. The Strike Captain positioned himself in a similar stance, right handed this time, and fired off his ten shots just as rapidly.

Watching Boomer, Face noticed a few more details in concern to the posture he and Apollo both used while they were firing. Boomer was leaning slightly forward on the balls of his feet, along with being slightly crouched and one foot somewhat in front of the other. Then Face realized why. These were men who were used to fighting running battles, when they actually fought on foot. They had to either be ready to run in a moment's notice, if they weren't actually firing while they ran.

"Well Face, think you can beat that?" Boomer asked the blond, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder towards the targets. Face directed his gaze towards them and saw that Boomer had hit the first four with two shots each, in both spots. The last target had taken one hit, on the arm. "Apollo and I took out four of the five."

"Four out of five?" Face asked, puzzled.

"Yes. Cylons only have two places on them that is a sure kill. You either have to hit them dead center in the chest, or dead center of the eye." Apollo explained. "The face shot is the harder one of the two, which is why both Boomer and I started out with chest shots."

The Lieutenant nodded.

"And how well did your missing friend do?" Face asked, curious.

"Starbuck would usually manage to land a hit on the chestplate of the furthest Cylon. He had yet to manage one on the faceplate that hit dead center." Boomer answered.

"Okay. That tells me what I needed to know. Thanks." Face responded, before stepping up to the mark. He stood with his feet spaced out, knees relaxed, but not bent. Using both hands initially to take aim, he fired off his first shot, hitting dead center on the chestplate. The blond then dropped down his left hand, and fired another seven shots one handed. He then changed his stance some, bringing his left arm up, and under the barrel of the laser. He tightened his visual focus, and took careful aim before firing his last two shot. Each shot hit dead center of the eye on the last Cylon. Then the Earth born man turned to look at his companions.

The expressions he saw on the two Colonials' faces were well worth it. Both Apollo and Boomer were stunned, and had a slightly awed look as well.

"So, how well did I do?" Face asked, innocently.

"You just beat Starbuck's record." Apollo answered.

"Know how to fly?" Boomer wanted to know.

Face smirked. "No, not really. My best friend back at home does though."

Both Colonials had the decency to not go any further along that line of thought.

"Well, Commander Adama is going to be pleased when he hears my assessment of you." Apollo smiled. "However, that's something to be concerned about later. I don't know about either of you, but I'm in need of a turbowash before dinner tonight."

"Sounds good to me." Boomer agreed. Face nodded in reply, also agreeing.

Back on Earth................

Starbuck slowly came awake, the sounds of bird calls and the feel of sunlight on his face penetrating his slumber and rousing him. The feel of sunlight on his skin felt wonderful. The alien Lieutenant was surprised to discover that he actually missed it. He enjoyed the sound of the birds as well, even though they sounded different from what he vaguely remembered from his childhood back on Caprica. It was after those sensations had been mentally processed that the blond realized that he could feel a weight over his entire body, and that his sleeping spot was not moving. Time to recon his surroundings.

Opening his eyes while he sat up, Starbuck discovered that he was in a bed that was slightly wider than his berth aboard the _Galactica_. A muffled snoring noise drew his attention to the other side of the room, where he saw Murdock sleeping all but buried under the covers. And the only reason he even knew it was the Earth born pilot was because of the jacket and the hat hanging on a bedpost that Starbuck recognized as belonging to the pilot. With a sigh, the Colonial Warrior carefully climbed out of bed, and limped his way over to the door. He hoped that the turboflush was nearby.

The room he was looking for was right next to the one where he had been placed in. Starbuck gave a sigh of relief as he went in. He quickly relieved himself, then took a look around the small room. He spotted the shower and examined it, before grinning. It used real water, which made sense to him after a moment. The Fleet had only started using sonics for hygienic purposes only after the Destruction, when water became scarce.

"Oh this is going to feel so wonderful." The alien pilot muttered to himself, in his native language. He located himself a couple of towels, and stripped down. Within a matter of minutes, Starbuck was standing in a steamy hot stream of water. He remained under the showerhead until his fingers got all wrinkled.

Quickly stepping out, Starbuck examined the injured area on his leg. While it would leave a scar, he had far worse injuries. He gave a soft sigh, in resignation, and wrapped a towel around his hips. The misplaced Colonial Warrior grabbed up the clothes he had worn into the bathroom, and then slowly limped back into the room he was sharing with Murdock.

Spotting that the Earth born pilot was still sleeping, the blond quietly dressed. He slipped on clean undergarments, a pair of blue jeans, and an aqua blue polo shirt that matched his eyes. Starbuck then grabbed up his crutches and departed the room. Stepping back into the hall, the blond looked around, trying to figure out his current surroundings. There was nothing to his left, except the end of the hallway he was in. Across from him was a door that Starbuck figured was the entrance to another sleeping area. Past the bathroom door, the hall opened into a larger area. Starbuck decided to head that way.

The room that the Lieutenant found himself in was massive. It went from the front to the back of the house, had a cathedral ceiling, and a balcony along three sides of the room. Two sets of staircases led upwards. Starbuck was curious about what he might find up there, but decided that until his leg was better exploring the upper level was just not doable. However, the three doorways across the greatroom from where he stood were extremely doable for current exploration so he headed for them. Two of the doorways were fairly close to each other, so Starbuck decided on them.

The first door opened into a formal dining area, Starbuck figured, since it reminded him of the dining area that the family dinners Adama held and insisted that he attend took place in. There was a door that led into the room next to it, which the pilot figured most likely led to a meal prep area. He poked his head through it, and was greeted by the scent of something delicious cooking, and BA standing over a stove.

"Faceman, you're awake. Feeling hungry?" BA asked, in his gruff voice. "I'm making pancakes. Sit down. Jenny will fix you a cup of coffee if you want one."

Starbuck stepped fully into the room, and spotted the woman who had to be Jenny. He was slightly surprised to hear the familiar name, since Earth names did not tend to be similar to Colonial names in his experience so far.

"Hello Face. Have a seat. If you would rather something else besides coffee, I have milk and juice on hand." Jenny smiled at him, as she stood. "Hannibal told me that you had been hurt and suffering some memory loss."

"Yeah. I hit my head rather hard." Starbuck replied as he sat down. "I think I'll go with juice, if you don't mind."

"Okay." Jenny nodded in agreement, and pulled down a tall glass from a cupboard. She then opened the fridge and pulled out a container of apple juice. Starbuck watched as she poured the pale gold colored liquid into the glass before setting it in front of him.

"I hope you like apple juice. I brought it home with me this morning, when I came in from work." Jenny stated, smiling. She then yawned. "Excuse me."

Starbuck took a small swallow of the juice, and savored the slightly tart sweetness of the golden liquid. As the flavor filled his mouth, the foreign pilot noticed that the juice lingered briefly with a mellow reminder that caused his mouth to salivate with anticipation for more. Without really meaning to, Starbuck drained the glass rather quickly, enjoying the taste that flowed acrossed his tongue.

The Colonial watched as BA slipped three golden looking flat objects onto a plate. The dark skinned man then spread a creamy yellow substance over the steaming items, then poured a thick brown liquid over them. Picking up a fork, the Sargeant crossed over to where Starbuck sat at the table.

"Here ya go Face, hot off the stove. Eat up." BA ordered Starbuck, setting the plate in front of him.

The blond picked up the fork, and using the side of it, cut into the steaming hot stack in front of him. Tentatively, he brought the forkfull up to his mouth, and took his first bite of the new food. A rich sweetness exploded on his tongue, accompanied by an underlying creamy flavor was the first thing that Starbuck experienced. It was followed by the flavorful cooked batter that was light and fluffy feeling while it melted on his tongue. The sweetness that was the first thing he noticed lingered in his mouth as he swallowed down the first bite. His mouth watered from the combination of tastes as he continued eating the pancakes, while his stomach became filled in a very pleasing manner.

While the extraterrestrial pilot all but inhaled his breakfast, Hannibal and Murdock joined the trio in the kitchen.

"I was wondering where you had gotten off to this morning, Facey." Murdock grinned, as he sat down next to Starbuck. Hannibal joined them at the table, taking a seat next to where Jenny was sitting.

Starbuck ignored him long enough to ask Jenny if she would pour him another glass of juice.

"Juice Face?" Hannibal asked, surprised. "Instead of coffee?"

"Something wrong with that?" Starbuck retorted.

The Colonel shook his head. "No, not really. It's just not what you usually drink with breakfast is all."

"Oh. Well, I felt in the mood for something different." Starbuck responded. He resumed eating what was left on his plate.

"Do ya want anymore Face?" BA asked, as he watched the younger man all but inhale the pancakes.

"No thank you. I'm feeling pretty full." Starbuck smiled. "Those were really good, BA. Thank you."

"Ya welcome. Anyone else want more?"

Everyone declined, thanking the Sargent for fixing breakfast.

"BA, I really need some sleep. Would you mind waiting until after I get up to go grocery shopping? I'm off for the next couple of days, then I'm back on the day shift. Usually, when that happens, I sleep for about four hours, so that I can sleep at night." Jenny asked, explaining what the deal was.

"Sure, that works for me. While you sleep, the rest of us can see what all still needs doing around here. Face can go and sit in the sun on your porch while we all do that." BA agreed, nodding his head."Sounds like a plan. I'll see you all in a few hours." Jenny replied, standing.

The four men wished her a good night as she left the room. Starbuck's eyes lingered, appreciating Jenny's figure as she departed. Hannibal chuckled at that, glad to see one thing that was still the same. He recalled very well the first encounter Jenny had had with Face.

"Something amuses you Colonel?" Starbuck inquired, arching an eyebrow.

"Just recalling the time when we originally met Jenny and her father is all. You were giving her the eye back then too, and then some." Hannibal answered, grinning. He then reached into his pocket, and pulled out a couple of small orangy bottles with white caps on them. "Here, you need to take these. It's the medicine that Maggie prescribed for you. It's the antibiotic to help keep an infection from setting in. You need to take it with food, remember? Your pain medication is here too, if you need them."

"Thanks." Starbuck replied, taking the containers. He tucked them into a pocket of his jeans. He grabbed his crutches, and started to stand up carefully. "I guess I better head on out to the porch to relax."

"Alright. Jenny has a lounger on her back porch, where it's safe. No one will be able to see you that way. It's back this way." The white haired Colonel stood up, and lead the way to the rear porch.

The blond followed, moving carefully on his crutches. As he stepped out the door, Starbuck paused, and took in the sight. Trees, lots and lots of trees filled his vision. To one side, a tall silver fence could barely be seen through a screening of shrubs that were climbing up it. A rustling noise became audible, before Murdock burst out of some foliage.

"I just started my recon of the property, Colonel. I discovered that on the other side of the fence is a sizable park. The area right next to us looks to be an area for playing football and soccer. There are benches and a couple sets of stands on the far side. Nothing on this side near the fence though. I guess when the park was put in place, they took into concideration the neighbors." Murdock reported.

"Good work Murdock. Continue on." Hannibal smiled. He turned towards Starbuck, who was sitting down. "I'll leave you here Lieutenant. Need anything before I head off?"

"Some water please." Starbuck requested. He placed the crutches on the floor within reach before he situated his injured leg.

"Alright. One of us will be by to check on you every so often, so don't be afraid to ask for anything."

"Gotcha Colonel. Thanks."

Starbuck leaned back, and closed his eyes as Hannibal went back inside. He gave a small sigh of relief, glad to see that his ruse was working for now. The alien pilot was not looking forward to the day when the members of the A-Team learned that he was an imposter. They were going to want to know what had happened to their friend, and they were going to want Face returned to them. Starbuck hoped that he would be able to answer their questions when that day arrived.

On the _Galactica............_

Apollo showed Face how to use the turbowash, and showed him around his quarters. The Earth-born Lieutenant took his first sonic shower, and then explored a small shelf that contained some kind of electronic equipment and a couple of boxes of crystals.

"Find anything interesting?" Apollo asked, as he came out from having had his own shower.

"Somewhat." Face replied. "What are these things? I've never seen anything like them."

"Those are data crystals and a data reader. Most of those there were made by my dead wife, back before and just after the Destruction." Apollo explained. "She had been a newscaster. She was covering the upcoming peace treaty that would eventually be revealed as a ruse. She and her son were extremely lucky to have survived. Most didn't within the cities."

"You said something about showing me something back when we were in the celestial chamber." Face reminded the other man.

"That's right. Boomer and I were. The incoming patrols made us forget about it." Apollo stated, picking up the reader, and pulling out a small locked container. "What I am going to show you is actually the second transmission that was recorded. The first one was destroyed in a battle with the Cylons. It shows a really old spacecraft setting down on a rocky world. Take a look."

Apollo opened the container and removed it's contents. It was another one of those data crystals, from what Face could see. He watched as the Major inserted it into the reader, which activated it. The blond's attention focused on the recording, completely captivated by it. The Colonial noticed that the Earth born man's complexion go pale, as he sucked in a sharp breath.

"Oh my God!" Face declared, as he looked up at Apollo after watching the video. "That's when we first landed on the Moon. I remember when that happened. I was in Vietnam. Murdock was estatic about the whole thing. He had wanted to get into NASA and the space program, but ended up being sent to 'Nam to fly copters instead."

"You mean to say that this is a transmission that originated from Earth?" Apollo asked, excited.

"Yes...well, sort of. It actually originated from the Moon, which is Earth's satellite. " Face answered. "The country that I'm from was the one who was behind that mission. It took place in 1969, in my planet's reckoning, timewise."

"How long ago did this event take place?" Apollo wanted to know.

"Well, if it's still the year I think it is, it's currently about the middle of the year and it's 1984. So it happened about 15 years ago." Face replied, purposely using the English word year over the Colonel equivalent of yahren.

Apollo looked sharply at Face. He studied the blond closely for a moment, his familiarity with Starbuck standing him in good stead when it came to trying to interpet the expressions on the alien Lieutenants' face.

"The Destruction of my people's homeworlds took place 16 yarhens ago. We had been on the run for about a yarhen when we received this transmission. If your planet's years are about the same as our yahrens, there's no way that we could have received the transmission that I showed you. Yet you are positive that it's from Earth."

Face looked at the Major, slightly confused for a moment. Then understanding dawned on him.

"You're saying that your people fled your homes before the event in the recording took place. How could it have reached you that quickly?"

"If Earth was that close, we should have long since encountered it. We're following the coordinates that we were given during that first yahren after the Destruction by the Ships of Light. There's no way......" Apollo paused. He paced around his room for a bit, before coming to a stop.

"I know how we managed to receive this transmission as well as the original. There's just no other way possible for us to have it. The inhabitants of those ships had to be behind it. They're far advanced in technology than what we are here in the Fleet."

"Uhm, Apollo, the level of technology that exists here does not exist on Earth as yet. At least, as far as I know." Face pointed out. "That transmission actually happened like it did back then on Earth. I can honestly say that."

Apollo looked sharply at Face, as the blond's comment penetrated his mind and was comprehended. None of them had no way of knowing if Face had been pulled into the future from his original time period. As it stood, there was only one way of learning it, and that was to return the Earth born Lieutenant home. Further understanding bloomed in the Major's mind as he realised he knew exactly where his best friend was and what he was doing. Which explained the reason why Face had been placed on the Galactica.

"I know why you're here." Apollo told Face. "Come on, I need to speak to my father, and you need to hear what I have to tell him."

The dark haired Major rushed out of his quarters and started rushing up the corridor. Face, caught off guard, was a moment before following behind the older man.

"Apollo wait up!" Face called out, echoing another blond's cry from several yarhens before. However, he then added "I don't know my way around as yet, remember? And what were you saying when you left so suddenly?"

The Colonel Warrior paused and turned to look behind him. Watching Face coming towards him yanked memories of his best friend coming along with him on what ever he was about to embark on. A smile crossed his face, there was no reason to rush.

"I just realized why you are here on the Galactica." Apollo told his new friend.

"Oh? And why is that?" Face asked.

"To tell us about Earth. And to let us know that Starbuck is still alive." Apollo answered.

"It took you this long to figure that out? How come I don't know it then?" Face asked, sarcastically.

"It took me this long because you needed to see that transmission. I'll explain more in a few. There are others who need to hear it." And with that, Apollo resumed heading towards his father's quarters, at a slower pace. Face followed him.

Elsewhere on the Galactica.....

Boomer, after having split off from Apollo and Face, headed towards the female pilots' billet.

"Brie, is Dietra inside?" He asked. "If so, would you get her for me."

"Yeah, she is. She went inside just a moment ago. She said something about wanting to grab a shower." Brie answered. "I'll send her out."

"Thank you."

A few moments later, Dietra walked out, and wrapped her arms around Boomer. She then placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Hey BoomBoom, what's up?" Dietra asked. "I noticed back in the ready room that you and Major Apollo have been pulled from the flight roster."

"That's what I'm wanting to speak to you about. Commander Adama has invited us to dine with him this evening." Boomer answered. "We have a guest on board, and Apollo and I have been pulled off the roster to serve as a protection detail for this visitor."

"Oh really? And just who within the Fleet is so important to cause the Commander to pull two of his top pilots from flight duty to guard this person instead of using one of the members of Fleet Security?."

"He's not from the Fleet, Dietra. He's from Earth." Boomer informed her. "And even more, this man is identical in looks to the missing Starbuck."

That pulled Dietra up short.

"You're not trying to pull one on me, are you?"

"No Dee. In fact, Commander Adama has given orders that this man is to be kept classified from the Council. He's deemed our visitor a military only matter. And that's on a need to know basis for military personnel at that."

"Then why are you telling me, Boomer?" Dietra asked, her voice slightly sharp.

"Because it's been decided that you need to know. We're invited to dinner, remember? Anyways, our visitor is also invited to dine with the Commander as well. So you will meet him." Boomer explained.

"Alright then. Since I'm having dinner with the Commander this evening, I had best go and get ready. Is there a dress requirement when one dines with him?"

"No. You can wear civvies if you wish. Sheba, Cassie, and Athena tend to wear dresses."

"Alright then. You can pick me up here and escort me to Commander Adama's quarters then, just before dinner." Dietra declared. "I need to go and get ready. I suggest that you go and do the same."

A short while later, Boomer arrived to escort Dietra to dinner. They arrived at Adama's quarters to see Cassie, Sheba and Bojay preparing to enter inside. Colonel Tigh was escorting them inside. He thought it somewhat odd that Bojay was being included as a dinner guest. Then he realized that over dinner would be an excellent time to fill in everyone about Face.

"Captain, Lieutenant, you're right on time. Apollo hasn't arrived as yet." Tigh informed them. "Lieutenants Troy and Dillan, and Captain Athena are already inside."

"If there isn't a problem, Dietra and I will wait out here for them." Boomer replied.

"I'll let Adama know." Tigh replied. He returned a moment later. "The Commander wants to surprise the others with our unexpected guest. So if you will let the Major and the visiting Lieutenant know that they're to wait just outside the door."

As Apollo and Face arrived at Adama's quarters, the two men spotted a pair of dark skinned people waiting for them. Face reconized Boomer from earlier, however, he didn't know his lovely companion.

"Face, I would like to introduce you to my current lady, Lieutenant Dietra. Dietra, this is Lieutenant Face." Boomer began introductions before turning to Apollo. "Sheba, Bojay and Cassie are already here and inside."

"It's nice to meet you Lieutenant." Dietra replied, offering her hand out to Face for a hand shake. Face smiled at her, and reached out to grasp her hand. Dietra did not grasp his in return however. Instead she slid her hand up to grab his wrist instead. "Warriors don't take hands when we shake. We grasp each other's wrists in a warrior's shake instead. While you might not be a Colonial Warrior, Lieutenant, you are a warrior for your people."

Face winced slightly upon hearing Dietra's comment. He wondered what these people would think if they learned that he was considered a criminal among his own people, and that Earth born humans warred against one another. Not to mention the fact that he was also a mercenary on top of it, even if the A-Team had a standard when it came to those they allowed to hire them.

Inside, Adama served various drinks to everyone, handing out glasses to his guests. He looked over at Tigh.

"Tigh, will you check and see if the rest of the guests have arrived?" Adama requested. "I do believe that we are ready."

"Certainly Commander." Tigh replied. He made his way over to the door, and activated it. When it slid open, he signaled to Apollo. "The Commander is ready for you."

"Alright." Apollo replied before turning to his companions. "It's time."

The three men permitted Dietra to enter first. Boomer followed her in, with Face preceding Apollo.

"And the last of the guests have arrived." Adama's voice declared. "Gentleman, Lieutenant, would you like something to drink before I make introductions?"

Face entered fully into the room and noticed that it did triple duty as office, living and dining room. He nodded yes to the Commander, and was handed a small stemmed glass with a bright red liquid in it. He took a small sip of the liquid, and discovered that it was alcoholic. The flavor was pleasant, but indescribable. The only term he could use was alien.

Athena, Troy, Dillan, Sheba, and Bojay all spotted the blond that had entered with Apollo, Boomer and Dietra. Cassie tried to stop Athena, as she moved towards the man she thought she knew.

"STARBUCK!" They all cried out, starting to head over towards Face.

"NO!" Adama's stern voice admonished, stopping the group while he stepped between them and Face. "He is not Starbuck, who is still missing. This is Lieutenant Face, the reason why all of you were invited to dinner tonight."

"The Commander is right. While he might look identical to Starbuck, he's not." Cassie declared, stepping forward. "The medical records prove it. Face is completely alien to us."

Apollo and Boomer took up flanking positions on either side of Face. Most of the people there were those who were the closest to Starbuck, the ones that were his chosen family. While there were a few others- Jolly, Giles, Cree; the ones present were the ones who mattered the most.

"How can he be completely alien to us?" Athena asked, curious. "He's obviously human."

Face grinned at the pretty brunette. "That I am. However, I happen to come from Los Angeles, California."

Boomer and Apollo looked at one another, looking forward to watching Face starbucking the others.

"And where is loss an gel less callie forn ya located?" Sheba carefully pronounced the obviously foreign words.

Face leaned slightly forward, playing it up. A grin crossed his face, one that matched that of a man who was far away.

"It's part of the United States of America, on the continent of North America, which is located in the Northern hemisphere of the planet Earth." Was the reply. And with that, Face walked away from the table as it exploded in an uproar.

Apollo looked towards Adama, who nodded in agreement. Giving Boomer a nudge, the two Colonials lead their new friend into Adama's sleeping room for a moment's privacy.

"Come on Face, let's leave the others to discuss the importance of your being here. Besides I have something to show you." Apollo said in a soft voice.

He lead both men over to a set of shelves, on which were several holopics. The Major lifted one of the images and handed it over to the Earth born Lieutenant. Boomer smiled, he knew exactly what image that was being shown to his new friend.

Face looked at the picture that Apollo handed him and almost dropped it in surprise.

"That looks like me." He said, looking up at his two companions. "This is an image of your friend Starbuck."

"Yes. And that's why we're taking care to make sure that you're protected while you're with us. Starbuck had plenty of enemies in the Fleet. Also, there are those who would do their best to use you, since you come from Earth."

Boomer stepped closer. "Now you see why we're taking some of the precautions that we are, and trying to find out what you can do."

"I'm a long way from home." Face declared.

Apollo and Boomer nodded in reply.

TBC..................


End file.
